Callous
by nillawaferss
Summary: Orihara Izaya has always been known as Raijin Academy's most infamous playboy. Handsome, cunning, and sinister. What Izaya wants, he gets. After placing a bet, a new challenge arrives before him: Conquering the most feared kid in school, Shizuo Heiwajima. Can he keep his side of the wager? Or will he realize his ice cold heart may be thawing for the Bleach Blonde Beast?
1. The Bet

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

This story will be loosely based on the movie, Cruel Intentions. (I don't own any rights to the movie either!) If you've seen it, you'll get some of the references. If you haven't, the movie is basically about a pair of bored, spoiled step siblings who take pride in making others miserable. They plan to deflower the new headmaster's daughter when she moves in with their Aunt during the summer.

Some characters may be just a bit OOC to fit in with the story.

Enjoy~

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**_Chapter One_**

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"Orihara-san."

...

"Orihara-saaan!"

...

"_Izaya!_"

The teacher snapped and sent her chalk flying at the 16 year old, striking him in the forehead.

"Hai~" Yawned the raven haired boy.

He gazed up at his sensei, his crimson-brown eyes still half lidded from his nap.

"So sorry to wake you, but you're wanted in the principal's office." The teacher called over her shoulder as she scribbled onto the chalkboard.

"Tch.. Third time this week. That's gotta be a record.." She muttered to herself.

The class whispered among each other as he stood from his desk and stretched his limbs. A few girls giggled and his male classmates glared at him as he cooly passed through the aisle, hands stuffed into his pockets and his usual smirk on his face.

He hummed to himself as he trotted through the halls of his domain, Raijin Academy.

Izaya knew every student; popular, unpopular and anything inbetween; and they certainly knew him as well.

Orihara Izaya had a reputation for being a troublemaker at every school he had been to, this one was no different.

Several teachers scoffed and closed their classroom doors and he skipped past, waving into the doorway at a few female students. He laughed to himself at how uncomfortable he could make the adults here.

Izaya stopped at the door of the principal's office to fix his uniform as he peered into the small window. A young brunette woman was seated at her desk, furiously scribbling onto a clipboard and shuffling through stacks of paper.

"Heh.. _Namieee~ I'm back. Did you miss me?_"

He smoothed out his hair and stepped inside.

"Good morning!"

Izaya smiled brightly as he leaned onto her desk and poked the Maneki Neko figurine placed at the corner. "How is everything going today, Yagiri-San?"

"Orihara-san. What a surprise." The stoic secretary muttered without glancing up.

"You know where to go, have a seat over there and wait for the Principal to call you into his office."

She pointed with her pen and continued to flip through her files.

"Hai, hai!~" He chirped and plopped onto the blue plastic chair. Namie continued on with her paperwork, giving Izaya empty responses to his ridiculous questions.

He kicked out his legs and sighed as he stared around the room.

"Well this is never any fun." He pouted, folding his arms as he slumped back in his seat.

Just then, the Principal's door came flying open.

**_"That's bullshit!" _**

Izaya perked up in his chair as he realized who the voice belonged to. _Shizu-Chan!_

"Heiwajima-san, please! C-calm down!" The principal sputtered out with his hands raised.

"Those jerks can provoke me to the near point of insanity, and you're saying I'm just supposed to sit there with my tail between my legs!? You know these kids just want a show from me, like I'm a freakin' Circus act!"

"_Let's see how long we can piss of Shizuo before he grabs something heavy and flings it at someone's head!_"

"I-I'm very sorry Heiwajima-san, but you know the school policy on violence! I'm going to have to give you detention for the rest of this week!" The man explained, taking a step back from the fuming teenager.

"_Tch!_ This school is fucked!" He growled and kicked over the trash bin with his foot.

Izaya grinned widely at what he was hearing. Raijin's Bleached Blonde Beast was at it again.

"Orihara-san, I'll be seeing you in here now." The principal called as he gathered the trash that had spilled out from the toppled over bin.

He jumped up from his seat and made his way towards the door. The blonde stepped out of the doorway, his face was beat read with anger.

_"Th' hell are you looking at! Ah?"_ He shouted as he stormed passed Izaya, slamming the door on the way out.

Izaya looked over his shoulder and chuckled to himself.

_Poor little Shizu-chan, you're never gonna have any friends with that attitude._

Placing the trash bin beside his desk, the principal took his seat folding his hands atop the glossy wooden frame.

"Ahem.. I-I'm sure you can guess why you're here, Orihara-san. I need you to learn.. Y-you've got to give these bad habits of yours a rest, son. You're a bright young man with everything ahead of you. Yet you surround yourself with trouble, day in and day out.. Don't you have any clear set goals for your future?"

Izaya's smile faded and he shrugged his shoulders with a sigh.

"Well, sure. I have dreams and goals just like anyone else. But I know someone like me could never truly fit in with the rest of society. I've always been the black sheep in my family. My mother and father moved away from me to avoid dealing with such a troublesome child. I'm nothing more than a doomed soul, plagued for failure and misfortune for the rest of my worthless life."

The principal wore a pained expression. "Wait just a moment.. I-I've got something I want to give to you."

Izaya watched as the man pulled something from his desk drawer and walked over to him. A book was placed into his lap.

He raised a brow at the cover. The title read, _**Be Your Best You**_ by Sanji Takada. It was rather dated. Like it had been published in the 80s. He flipped it over. A picture of a man in a yellow turtleneck was flashing a bright smile with his thumb raised in the air.

Izaya choked back a laugh, forcing an impressed look. "Sugoi.. You wrote this, Pricipal Takada?"

He gave a curt grin with a nod.

"Believe it or not, I was a motivational speaker back in my years. This was my most famous piece of work ever released. I do hope it can help you find yourself, your potential and who you truly want to be."

Izaya stood with his head down, sniffling. "I don't know how to thank you.."

"Just think of it as a gift." He explained pulling a few tissues from his desk. A small picture sat beside it of young girl.

He took the tissues and wiped his nose. "The girl on your desk. She's really beautiful."

"My daughter." He smiled.

Izaya looked on in amazement. "Wow.. If only I could have a girl like her at my side."

Principal Takada frowned and pushed the frame behind him. "Sorry to say.. but she's out of your league, young man."

He showed him to the door. "Now I want you to do well to keep yourself out of trouble, you hear me?

"Hai, I understand.. It was nice talking with you. Thank you very much for the book, Sir."

Izaya shut the door behind him and Principal Takada took a seat at his computer. The phone on his desk rang, and he paged it in.

"What is it Namie?"

"Your daughter, sir."

"Can't it wait?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Hah.. Very well."

He pushed the button to answer the line. "Hello?"

Sobbing was coming from the other end.

"Sniff.. Sniff.. oh.. Daddy! It's horrible! Just horrible!"

"Sweetheart, calm down. What is the matter?"

"There's...sniff, sniff.. pictures!"

"Pictures..? What do you mean?"

"He said that he loved me..! Sniff.. and now there's.. _awful_ pictures of me on the internet!"

He gasped and gripped the phone.. "You have go to be kidding me! How could you be so careless!"

"Sniff.. Sniff.. I was so stupid!"

He tried to coax her into relaxing enough to tell him the link to the website. He typed in the address and dropped the receiver to the floor.

In the center of the screen was his daughter posed more provocatively than he ever needed to see.

Underneath in red flashing text read:** Be your best you**.

He jumped from his desk and sprinted out into the Secretariat's office.

"Izaaaaaayaaaaa! You get your worthless ass back here right now!" He shouted, slamming his fist on the glass. Several staff members rushed to his side to hold him back and get him to explained what happened.

Izaya peered from the stairwell up into the window and gave the principal a wave before waltzing back to class.

_..._

_"_Detention, again.. Man this stinks!" Izaya sighed, crumpling the blue slip of paper into a ball and punting in down the hall with his foot.

Shinra Kishitani walked alongside him, clutching his books to his chest. "Well you did kind of go a bit overboard this time.."

"So I posted a few photos on the Dollars website of the Principal's daughter.. _Big whoop!_ Maybe she shouldn't have been practically _begging_ me to meet her in the girl's locker room if she had a boyfriend. Not that I cared. I had my bit of fun."

He giggled and Shinra closed his eyes in disapproval.

He sighed and hung his head. "And yet.. I've grown beyond bored with these air headed bimbos at Raijin! It's way too easy.. and it's always the same!"

"Blah blah.. _Izaya, you're so cool! Izaya, you're so hot!"_

"Blah blah.. _Izaya broke my heart_.. Blah!"

"Theres gotta be some excitement left in this dull excuse for a high school!" He whined and threw his arms out as the pair stopped at the lockers that lined the halls.

"Look Izaya, we've been friends since elementary. I know you've got your reputation to uphold or whatever.. but why don't you just give this whole thing a rest.." He said, pushing up his glasses.

"_Becauseeee_ Shinra, I don't plan to live an ordinary boring life like you and the rest of you humans! I want to get as much out of it as I can. I want to try everything it has to offer, starting with its degenerate pleasures." He smiled and loaded his books into his locker.

"Besides, the reactions and facial expressions I get out of my schemes are the most fulfilling! You should really try it sometime. It's like nothing else in this world!"

Shirna inwardly shivered at his strange friend's disturbing hobbies and closed his locker. "I don't think I'll ever truly understand you.."

The two walked to the lunch room and stood in line to grab some food items from the cart.

"Look out everyone! Heiwajima's got a lunch tray in his hands, do you think he'd break it over someone's head if they looked at him funny?" A kid seated a table jeered.

Several kids laughed and others averted their eyes from his gaze in fear of the boy's words being true.

"Hey, you guys knock it off! You already saw what he did to Hajime last week." Yelled the transfer student, Tom Tanaka. "He's still recovering from his dislocated shoulder in the hospital!"

He turned to Shizuo and patted his shoulder. "I'm really sorry about those guys, Shizuo. I'll make sure they leave you alone."

The blonde grumbled to himself and grabbed a few cartons of milk from the cart before sulking away to a lonely table near the window.

Izaya and Shinra exchanged glances before carrying their lunch to their table.

"Hi Celty." Shinra blushed as he pulled out his chair and took a seat next to the object of his affection.

The black hood of her jacket hid her features as she tapped her fingers on her cellphone.

** [****Hello Shinra. Izaya.]**

Izaya chipperly greeted the shy female and plopped down to enjoy his food.

"Can you believe Izaya's got detention again!" Shinra mused.

**[What for this time?]**

"Exposing the Student Council President for the promiscuous bird she really was." He chuckled.

Celty shook her head in shame.

**[And who calls girls 'birds'..? We're not in London, Shinra]**

"Well I can't help it that these girls practically throw themselves at me. Seduction is like a game of chess, you make all the right moves and you're exactly where you want to be. But it's no fun if your opponent is basically handing over the pieces!" Izaya whined as he peeled his banana.

"It completely erases the thrill of the challenge.."

Shinra chuckled to himself. "You know what _would_ be a challenge.." His words trailed off as his eyes glanced over to Shizuo's table.

Izaya snorted, almost choking on his water. "_Shizu-chan..?_ You're kidding, right?"

Shinra smirked and took a bite of his sandwich. "What? You said you were bored of these Raijin girls, and I know you're no stranger to fooling with the opposite gender. So why not him? If you want a challenge, there you go."

Izaya tapped his chin as he gazed over at the blonde outcast.

"He doesn't interact well with others. And he's as shy as a five year old when it comes to girls. Dominating Raijin Academy's Bleach Blonde Beast would be my greatest victory." He proclaimed with his hand on his chest in an act of self righteous admiration.

"Pffft! Ha ha ha! Like you even could! It was just a hypothetical suggestion." Shinra laughed as he poked his straw into his juice pouch. "There's no way you could actually do it!"

Izaya's smirk faded. "And why couldn't I?"

Shinra caught his breath after taking a long swig of his drink. "Because it'd be impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible, Shinra. Not for me." He replied with a grin. "I could work at it as long as it takes."

"Really?"

"Really. I'd say that I could have Shizu-chan head over heels for me me in just three weeks." He declared confidently, holding up three fingers.

"_Three_ weeks? You've _got_ to be joking. There's only two months left before the school year ends! I doubt you could even do it by then!" Shinra argued.

Izaya folded his arms and smirked widely. "You really underestimate me, Shinra. I had the Student Council President on her back in only three _hours."_

"So you really think you can take his virginity before summer vacation? You must have a death wish!" Shinra whistled.

Izaya smirked, his crimson eyes glinting with determination. "Care to wager on that?"

Celty slumped back in her seat and pulled her hood down even further as the two bantered on with their idiotic conversation.

"Then let's seeee. If I win.. you have to finish all my homework and study guides for the rest of the year. And that new laptop of yours, it's mine." Izaya said flashing Shinra a sly smile.

Shinra flinched. "The rest of the year? And you're talking a brand new HD laptop with a dual core processor and 4 Gigabytes of RAM!"

Izaya yawned. "That all sounds _extremely_ interesting, so are you in?"

Shinra chewed his bottom lip as he thought. "Fine. And if I win.. you're going to have to get a picture of the school secretary's underwear!"

Izaya stopped smiling and grunted. "Do you have any idea how much trouble that could get me in?"

"Not to mention, Namie is freakin' scary when she wants to be." He whispered, picturing the ice cold woman's gaze as she beat him to a pulp.

He pushed up his glasses and smirked as he stuck out his hand. So are you in?~" he said, mimicking his tone.

Orihara Izaya was never the type to let someone show him up. And now was no different. Izaya smiled, and grabbed Shinra's hand.

"You've got yourself a deal, sweetheart."


	2. First Impressions

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Two**_

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The bell chimed, signalling the end of the school day, and the students swarmed out of the classrooms and piled into the halls, chatting about their after school activities and other gossip.

Shizuo dragged his feet as he made his way to his locker. He was usually glad when the school day was finally over with, only this time it technically wasn't. He had detention for the next two days. He sighed and grabbed his jacket from the metal hook. He tossed his backpack over his shoulder and slammed his locker shut.

"Hi there!~"

He took a step back when a face popped out from behind the metal door.

He narrowed his eyes. It was the boy from earlier.. _Orihara._ The extremely cocky idiot who annoyed him to no end. He pissed Shizuo off just by looking at him with that smug face.

"Th' hell do you want?" He eyed the smiling raven suspiciously.

Izaya offered his hand and spoke politely. "My name is Orihara, Izaya. And you must be Heiwajima Shizuo. I don't believe I've ever had a chance to formally introduce myself."

He simply stared at the boy with a vexed expression and kept his hands stuffed into his pockets.

Izaya's face twitched for a moment at the blonde's fowl attitude, but his smile quickly returned. "I've seen you around the halls quite a bit. Mostly everyone here knows who you are. Though I notice you're usually by yourself. I thought I could try and help you become more comfortable here at our school, and introduce you to some of my friends."

Shizuo snorted. "So what are you? The Welcoming Committee?"

Izaya tried his best to keep his composure. "Heh heh. No, not exactly. You see, I'm really fond of the students here at Raijin. I like to go out of my way to speak with them, and get to know everyone the best I can."

Shizuo rolled his eyes and turned his back to Izaya as he walked off.

"Tch.. I don't care who you are or what you want. Get lost!"

"W-wait a minute! I'm not finished talking!" He called.

"Well I am!"

Izaya's shoulders slumped. "Well this is definitely going to be a bit harder than I expected.." He could practically hear Shinra's voice mocking him in his head.

He closed his eyes and folded his arms. "Heh.. Well I'm just going to have to step my game up bit."

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_"That stupid Orihara. Who does he think he his.. Fuckin' freak."_

Shizuo grumbled to himself as he walked down the halls. He rounded the corner and headed into the detention hall.

He pushed open the door to see the room was as rowdy as ever. A group of third year boys were rolling dice in the back corner. Another group of kids had their handheld game consoles out and were chatting about their high scores.

The teacher instructed to watch the students was older than Raijin itself, and was usually snoozing away while the kids did whatever they pleased.

Shizuo sighed and plopped into a seat near the side window. He always made sure to separate himself from the trouble making kids to avoid confrontation as best as he could.

He propped his feet up onto the seat in front of him and pulled out a notebook to pass the time. Shizuo was a closet poetry fan. He liked to read and write to clear his head. And it helped him express his thoughts and feelings better down on paper than opening up to others.

A second year female student perked up in her seat. "Izaya-kun!"

Shizuo lowered his pen and looked up towards the door. "You've gotta be kidding.."

"Kon'nichiwa, Ayana-chan~" He said in a sing-song tone as he skipped into the classroom. He wrapped his arm around the girl and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"Izaya-kun! You're embarrassing me!" She giggled, her face turning red.

"Of course, where are my manners!" He said coyly, and feigned an innocent expression.

"Here.." She whispered, passing him a small slip of paper. He smirked and pocketed the tiny note into his fur rimmed jacket, heading towards the window to find his usual spot.

"Oya oya.. What's this?" He expressed as he walked towards his chair, only to find it was being occupied by none other than Raijin's Bleach Blonde Beast.

He leaned down to him and smiled politely. "Sorry to bother you again.. But that's my seat you're sitting in."

Shizuo simply ignored his words and continued writing. Izaya drummed his fingers on the wooden desk to get the blonde's attention.

Shizuo scoffed and closed his notebook. "I don't see your fucking name on it, Orihara."

"Oh but that's where you're wrong, Shizu-chan!" Izaya crooned and placed his pale finger on the corner of the desk. Carved clearly into the wood read: **_Izaya._**

"_Tch!_ Whatever. There's a dozen other places to sit in this- Wait a minute.. W-what the hell did you just call me?!"

His face flushed slightly as he stood from his chair. He grabbed Izaya's collar and lifted him into the air. The raven haired boy raised his hands in surrender and spoke calmly. "Now now, Shizu-chan there's no need to react so harshly!"

Shizuo's face turned even redder and he raised his fist. "Call me that one more time, Orihara. and You won't have any teeth left to wear that smug fucking grin!"

The other students in the room stopped what they were doing and turned their attention to the pair.

"Look! Heiwajima is gonna waste Izaya!" The boys in the back jeered.

Izaya's smug expression was crawling under Shizuo's skin like a parasite. He looked around at the kids who had brought out their cell phones to get the whole thing on camera.

He knew that if he knocked Orihara's lights out, it'd be satisfying, of course. But he'd be giving them exactly what they wanted.

_No, I'm not letting them win. Not this time. _He thought to himself and shut his eyes.

The eager students were openly disappointed as the blonde dropped the smaller boy. "Stupid flea, just drop dead and leave me the hell alone.." He muttered and sulked over to a different seat on the other side of the classroom.

"_Maaan!_ I thought Heiwajima was gonna rip him to shreds for sure!" A boy complained as he put away his cell phone.

"Yeah, how lame was that!" Another whined and threw out his arms.

Izaya fixed the collar on his white shirt and plopped into his seat. He looked over at where Shizuo had moved to. The monster had finally calmed down and was back to scribbling away in his notebook. The other students had gone back to their games and conversations like nothing had happened and the instructor was still snoozing away.

He chuckled to himself about how simple minded these humans were. _Speaking of simple minded_.. He thought, reaching into his pocket to find the note from before.

He unfolded the tiny paper and read it to himself.

_**My parents are going out of town this weekend**_

_** you should come over and keep me company! **_

_**xoxo**_

**_Aya_**

Underneath the writing was the girl's address and her cell number. Izaya closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

_Yeah right.. I know exactly how that would turn out. This is the reason I can't stand the girls at this school anymore.._

He leaned back in his chair and looked over towards his current target.

_Besides, __I've already got my sights set on a __cute blonde tsun-stun~ __Getting to him would definitely be muuuuchh more fun._

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Shizuo gripped the strap of his backpack and kicked a loose chunk of cement down the sidewalk. This day had been even more stressful than the last. Damn that Orihara. He was like a parasite, and agitated him more than anyone else in the entire school.

_Fucking flea.. What is his deal with me anyway? _He sighed as he walked to the bus stop at the corner to wait for a ride back to Ikebukuro.

Shizuo wished he could attend school a bit closer to home, but he had been kicked out of every high school for miles.

It wasn't entirely his fault though. No matter where he went, the kids seemed to purposely try and piss him off. Antagonizing him until he turned violent. They made entertainment out of his aggression.

Shizuo had been forced to move out of his parents house and stay with relatives when his confrontations began to become a serious problem. Gangs of thugs would show up outside their home, waiting to get a piece of the strongest kid in the city.

He moved to Ikebukuro with his brother as sort of a fresh start. He met Tom Tanaka on his first day at Raijin. Tom gave him a lot of helpful advice on how to keep others from starting trouble with him, like bleaching his hair blonde so that he would be easy to recognize and earn a reputation.

It worked for a while. But eventually word got around about Shizuo's monster strength in his new school. The jock guys and thugs around town wanted to see how tough he really was, and just like that the pattern had repeated itself. The only thing Shizuo had to look forward to these days, was spending the evenings with his brother Kasuka at Russia Sushi or the arcade.

He closed his eyes as he sat down on the bench and pulled out his headphones to relax to a bit with some music.

Izaya whistled as he walked along the streets and parking lots, balancing himself on the curb humming happily.

"School is finally over! I'm free to do whatever I want now!" He cheered.

His eyes trailed over to the boy who sat a few yards away in the opposite direction.

"And there is definitely something I'd _like_ to be doing.. But sadly, that's going to have to wait." He sighed, placing his hand to his forehead in dramatic emphasis.

"When will Shizu-Senpai notice me?" He whined.

"I guess for now I'll have to stick to admiring my prey from afar. _Heh._ Though, it doesn't really matter. The chase is precisely what I find the most thrilling!"

He giggled and hopped along the stones of the path.

He headed towards the subway to catch a train to Ikebukuro and treat himself to some Otoro at Russia Sushi.

**_Beep! Beep! Beep!_**

"Moshi-Moshiii~" Izaya chimed as he picked up his phone.

"Hey Izaya, how's your plan moving along?" Shinra asked, trying to contain his laughter, as if he already knew the answer.

"It's moving.. Slowly.. But it's moving." He sighed as he stepped onto the platform and entered the door to the train car.

"Hahaha! Yeah right! I got the video of Shizuo almost kicking your ass after school! He hates your guts!" He cackled on the other end of the phone.

"Just you wait. This isn't even close to being over.." He said through gritted teeth as Shinra mocked him.

"Sure, whatever you say Izaya-kun! You better start thinking of how to get that picture! Maybe it'd be a bit easier if you took Namie out to dinner first! Hahaha!"

**_Click!_**

Izaya leaned back and gripped onto the bars of the train.

_Stupid Shinra. We'll see how funny it is when you're stuck doing my school work for the next two months. And you can say goodbye to that computer of yours!_

He closed his rust colored eyes and composed himself.

_No need to worry. I've got this in the palm of my hand. Seducing Shizu-chan might prove to be a bit more difficult than any other situation I've been dealt with, But there's no way I'm gonna lose this bet.._ _I think I might have an idea._

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the note he had gotten from the flighty second year girl. His eyes lit up and he smiled maliciously as he gripped the small paper.

_ I'll just have to pay Shizu-chan a little visit tonight.._


	3. A Secret Admirer

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Three**_

"Eat Sushi!" "Eat Russia Sushi!" "Sushi good for you!"

A large dark skinned man stood in the crowded streets of Ikebukuro, coaxing the passerbies to stop into his restaurant.

"Oh, Shizuo-san!" He paused to greet the shorter blonde teen who approached the shop front.

"Simon." Shizuo greeted him.

"Nice to see you around again. Come and have some sushi!" The tall man smiled, handing him a _Russia Sushi_ menu.

"No, that's alright Simon, thank you." He said handing the large man back his flyer. "I was actually wondering.. Have you seen Kasuka around at all?"

"Ahh, the other Heiwajima boy. He said something about having to leave for a business trip with his manager." Simon explained.

"O-oh.. I see." He replied, scratching his head.

"I guess I'll hang around here for a while then." He said nervously, not wanting to spend the rest of his evening in a lonely apartment.

"Good, good! Come, sit! I'll get you some onigiri on the house!" He expressed, leading him into the shop.

Shizuo thanked the kind man and took a seat at the sushi bar. A pair of girls at the table nearby looked over at Shizuo and whispered to one another. He smiled softly at them and waved. They both flinched, regarding him with fearful eyes. The same look he got from all the other girls in school..

Naturally, Shizuo had the same sexual urges as any other male his age did, only he was sure every female in town would run screaming in the other direction if he so much as approached them. He sighed and propped his chin up onto his elbow.

The bell against the top of the door jingled as another customer entered the shop, sending the two girls running as soon as they saw who had come in.

The only other person in Ikebukuro people feared just as much, if not more than Shizuo: Celty Sturlusion.

It was rumored that she never took off her hood. No matter how much the teachers had demanded that she follow dress code and remove it, she would not comply. Some wondered if she had a normal face, or if she even had a head at all. Anyone brave or stupid enough to try and touch the hood or forcibly pull it off received a swift kick to the groin or their wrist broken. Her mysterious aura and her violent behavior had earned her the reputation as the other freak of the school. The only ones who approached her at all were Shinra and Izaya.

The strange hooded girl walked up to the sushi bar and took a seat next to the blonde. She tapped her fingers against her cell phone and held it up.

**[Hi, Shizuo-san.]**

"..Celty." Shizuo greeted her nonchalantly, and continued to sulk even after the chef had placed his onigiri dish in front of him.

Celty tilted her head slightly as she looked at him.

**[Is something the matter?]**

He poked at his food with his chopsticks and lowered his eyes.

"Long day.." He breathed out.

"And the weirdest thing happened earlier.."

**[What was it?]**

"It was strange. That Orihara guy who hangs around you and Shinra, he came up to me after school and spoke to me. Like he wanted to be my friend or.. whatever.. I dunno. But something about it just seemed off. I get real bad vibes from that guy, ya'know.." He explained, picking up his rice ball.

Celty rubbed her thumbs together awkwardly and picked up her phone again.

**[Yes, that is a bit weird.]**

He finished chewing his food and swallowed before speaking again. "Right.. I feel like that flea might be up to something."

Celty gulped. She had to admit, she felt a bit guilty for not telling Shizuo about the conversation the three had at lunch. But she made the decision to just stay out of it for now.

**[So do you have any plans** **tonight?] **She asked him, holding up her phone.

"Nah. Kasuka had to leave for work, so it'll be another boring night at my place alone." He droned.

**[Oh, I see. You could join Shinra and I for a movie at his place tonight if you'd like.]**

"Thanks, but no thanks." He said, taking another bite of his rice ball. The last thing he felt like doing was spending his night third wheeling with the strange couple in Shinra's freaky house.

Celty's shoulders slumped a bit.

"C'mon. Don't look like that. You know how long Shinra's been looking forward to tonight! The guy is crazy for you. It's all he'd been talking about in gym class. Why should I tag along and mess up his chance.."

Celty would have blushed if her face was visible. She held up her phone with both hands and turned her head away.

**[D-Don't say weird things like that Shizuo. Shinra and I are just friends!]**

"Friends, riiight. Tell that to Shinra." He laughed slightly at the shy girl's embarrassment. It was actually almost cute on her.

The two continued to chat until Shizuo suddenly froze, his expression slowly turning into a look of disgust. Celty tilted her head slightly in confusion.

"Something stinks.." Shizuo grumbled and held his nose.

Suddenly the door opened again and the shop owner called out to greet one of his favorite customers.

"Orihara-san! Welcome!"

Shizuo nearly choked on his food when he heard the familiar name roll of the man's tongue. He coughed and wiped his mouth with a napkin.

_"You gotta be fuckin' kidding me.. Not here too!"_ He growled.

"Good evening Dennis!" Izaya greeted him happily and skipped over to the sushi bar.

"Nice to see you again Celty!" He grinned as he took a seat next to the hooded female.

Celty began to feel extremely uncomfortable as she sat between the two teens, the tension in the air was nearly thick enough to swallow her whole.

Shizuo stood up from his chair and turned to leave. "Tch.. I'm out of here. This place reaks.."

The shop owner gawked as the blonde stormed out of his restaurant. He lifted his arms and took a quick sniff.

"It's not me, and I know it can't be my sushi. I make everything fresh!" He explained scratching his head.

"Don't worry, Dennis-san." Izaya chuckled waving his hand. "

"Shizu-chan can really come off as offensive sometimes. He doesn't know how to properly interact with other people. Don't take it personally."

He picked up and menu and ordered his usual tray of Otoro and turned back to Celty. She folded her arms, and Izaya could tell she was glaring at him.

"Oh my! What's with that scary look?~" He said in a pretend-frightened voice, placing his hand to his mouth.

**[Shizuo told me about what happened at school! Are you really planning to go through with this?]**

Izaya swiveled side-to-side in his stool. "Of course I am Celty. A bet is a bet! And this would do wonders for my rep."

"It'd be the milestone of my greatest achievements!" He proclaimed, holding up his head proudly.

Dennis brought out Izaya's food and placed the dish at the table. He broke open his chopsticks. "Ita~daki~masu!" He sung and picked up a piece of the fatty tuna, popping it into his mouth.

Celty shook her head is disdain and stood from her chair, gathering up her bag and her phone.

"Hey, where are you going? I just got here Celty!" Izaya asked her, holding out his hands. "I'll share my Otoro with you if you'd like."

She angrily tapped her fingers against the screen of her phone, and shoved it in the boy's face.

**[Baka! I can't believe you would do something so cruel like playing with the emotions of an unsuspecting boy with a soft heart. Shizuo has feelings just like you do! I won't forgive you if you end up hurting him!]**

With that, she turned and left, leaving the raven haired boy alone.

"Jeez.." He sighed, and turned to finish his food.

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Shizuo walked up the stairs of his building. An elderly woman greeted him, and a few kids rushed past in a game of tag. He reached his door, and dug into his pocket for his apartment key, unlocking the door and stepping inside.

He dropped his backpack to the floor and plopped onto the sofa. He sighed as he reached for the television remote and began to midlessly flip through the channels; His mind being elsewhere at the moment.

Shizuo sighed and leaned his back, blankly staring up at the ceiling fan. "Damn that flea! Why does it seem like I'm always running into him lately!" He said, scrunching his nose in displeasure as he recalled the boy's foul odor.

Well, truthfully the flea didn't exactly smell bad.. He just had a particularly distinct scent that made Shizuo's stomach turn, due to his strong dislike for the guy.

With nothing good on television, and no one to keep him company, Shizuo decided to take a shower, finish up his homework, and call it an early night.

He stood and headed towards his bedroom to gather his pajamas, not bothering to shut off the television. The extra background noise made the place seem a bit less lonely when Kasuka wasn't around.

He grabbed a plain white tee and a pair of navy blue boxers from his dresser, and walked into the bathroom. He quickly stripped down and stepped into the shower, turning on the water. He sighed as the warm water hit his sore muscles, the steam relaxing him a bit after a long day.

Outside of the apartment stood a smiling Izaya. He peered through the window that led to Shizuo's bedroom.

"Hmm..? So Shizu-chan sleeps in boxers.. How boring. He should wear something a little more sexy!" He giggled and slid open the glass door.

He stepped inside and looked around the room to make sure the coast was clear. Izaya's footsteps were masked by the heavy flow of water from the shower as he walked through the bedroom and entered the living room.

"Not bad." He said to himself. Shizuo's apartment was in the upper class area of the city. Kasuka's idol career paid fairly well, so they could afford a pretty decent place for the two of them.

His eyes scanned the place before landing on Shizuo's backpack near the front door.

A large smile spread across his features. "Bingo."

He skipped over to the bag, pulling the small note from his pocket. He took out a pencil and erased a few things, and scribbled on it; adding a few finishing touches and changing the phone number at the bottom to his own before slipping it into the front pocket.

"Heheh, perfect." He snickered, and slipped through the front door. "Oh, Shizu-chan. You should really learn not to leave your doors unlocked. Somebody could just walk into the place!" He called as he hopped down the stairs and disappeared into the city.

Shizuo shut off the water, and stepped out onto the rug. Tiny droplets of water fell to his feet as he reached for a towel from the shelf. He dried off his hair and body, and slipped on his white shirt and boxers.

He flicked off the lights and walked out into the living room to grab his school bag, and brought it to the table in the dining room. He opened the refrigerator, grabbing a bottle of strawberry flavored milk and plopped down at the table.

He unzipped the bag and pulled out his Chemistry book and his formula conversions packet. He still needed a writing utensil, so he looked through his bag for a pencil. He searched the two side pockets, but they were empty. Frustrated, he unzipped the large front pocket, tipping his bag upside-down and shaking it.

A few pens and a pink eraser spilled out, and small note plopped onto the table, catching Shizuo's eye.

"Hn. What's this." He said, reaching for the small paper.

He grabbed the note and unfolded it.

_**Hi, Heiwajima san.**_

_** This might sound a bit funny**_

_** but I've been watching you from afar at school.**_

_** We have first period together**_

_** and I think we were lab partners once**_

_** though you probably don't remember..**_

_** I'd love to get chance to finally speak to you and hang out.**_

_** My parents are going out of town this weekend**_

_** you should come over and keep me company!**_

_**Here's my number. Send me a text if you'd like to meet up soon!**_

Shizuo's face flushed as he recalled the girl in his first period. He did remember being paired up with an alluring brunette with gorgeous eyes. _And she did seem to be a bit on the shy side. I think I'd noticed her looking over at me a few times during class too.._

He gulped and gripped the paper. _A cute girl actually has a crush on me.. And she wants me meet up with her this weekend. _

He quickly grabbed his cell phone from his bag, and sent a text to the phone number she had written down.

**]Hey. It's Shizuo. I got your**** note]**

He smiled to himself after he pressed send. He turned back to start his homework before his phone buzzed, just seconds later. Shizuo picked up his phone and grinned even wider.

**[Oh my gosh~ Shizuo! I'm sooo glad you decided to text me! :)]**

The blonde forgot all about his Chemistry homework as he spent the rest of the night chatting with his "secret admirer."

One the other side of town, Izaya laid on his back, halfway hanging off his bed as he typed on his phone to the gullible blonde. _"Oh Shizu-Chan. I had no idea your favorite color was periwinkle!~"_ He giggled to himself.

"Wow, that's crazy! Mine too!" He read aloud as he tapped his fingers on the keyboard.

He continued to chat with the unsuspecting Shizuo until he finally decided to turn in for the night.

"Man! This is way too good to be true. My plan is working like a charm.." He smirked, stripping off his shirt and rolling into bed.

He flicked off his desk lamp and pulled the blankets over his head, the light from his cell phone illuminating his malicious grinning face as he tapped the buttons of his phone.

**[I'm getting sleepy.. So sorryyy! Can we talk tomorrow? :)]**

_**Shizuo is typing...**_

**[Of course. Goodnight! Sweet Dreams :*]**

Izaya covered his mouth as he burst into laughter.

"Sweet dreams, Shizu-Chan~"


	4. Dangerous games

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Four**_

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Izaya flung the blankets off of his body and reached out a hand to shut off his pesky alarm clock. He forced his eyes open and took in a deep breath.

"I'm so glad it's Friday." he groaned and rolled over in bed, burying his face into the pillow. His cell phone buzzed on the nightstand. He slowly reached his arm over to grab it, turning his face to check his messages.

As expected, there was a text from Shizuo.

**[Morning. You getting ready for school?]**

Izaya chuckled slightly. "Right on time."

**[I just woke up, but I'm not feeling very well today. I don't think I'll be able to make it to class.]**

_**Shizuo is typing..**_

**[Aww. Well I was hoping I could see you today. Get some rest and message me when you get the chance, ok?]  
**

He smirked as he placed the phone back on the dresser.

"Well keep hoping Shizu-chan. You'll be waiting for the rest of the year for a girl who will never show. But you can always have me instead~"

He laughed and headed to the bathroom to jump in the shower and get ready to catch the morning train for school.

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Shizuo walked along the soaked sidewalks towards the front doors of the school. Large grey clouds hung overhead, creating an extremely gloomy atmosphere. He held up his cell phone, wiping a few droplets of rain from the screen with his sleeve. He frowned to see he only had a few texts from Kasuka and Tom.

_Is she having second thoughts about meeting up? Or is she really not feeling well? I guess I could always make the first move and just go up to her during first period on Monday and say hello or.. something._

He inwardly cringed at the idea of an actual confrontation with an attractive girl his age.

The blonde sighed as he pushed open the heavy double doors and entered the building. The halls were lively as usual despite the depressing weather outside.

He walked to his locker and stripped off his jacket and bag. He grabbed his Chemistry text book and his.. _formula conversion packet!_ Shit! He had been up all night chatting on his phone, and completely forgotten about his homework. He facepalmed for his poor judgement and slowly closed his locker.

He walked into the classroom and noticed the teacher hadn't arrived yet. Several students sat and talked about their weekend plans and others grumbled over the heavy rain that was falling outside.

He quickly took his seat near the clock, pulling out his packet in hopes to quickly run through it before the teacher showed up in the next ten minutes when class started.

The next few hours seemed to move along in slow motion for Shizuo. He had received half credit for his rushed work he was forced to hand in. Several of the answers had been wrong or left blank due to lack of time. And to top it all off, the teacher had surprised the class with a pop quiz.

He was in a fouler mood than usual as he walked to lunch. The bad weather and what happened in first period was really taking a toll on his spirits. He glared at the kids standing in front of the cafeteria doors and they quickly darted out of his path.

He snatched a few bottles of milk from the cart and stormed off to his table. He was slightly surprised to see Tom sitting there. He slumped into his chair and took a swig of his drink before slamming the bottle back down.

"Hey man. What's got you in a funk?" He asked, taking a bite of his granola bar.

"I'm just not having the best day to say the least. My chemistry grade dropped to a C-" He muttered.

Izaya skipped into the lunch room. Like usual he piled his lunch onto his tray and headed to his table to join Shinra and Celty. He couldn't wait to tell Shinra everything he had learned from his and Shizuo's text conversation last night.

"Hey, Orihara!" called a voice from a nearby table as he walked past.

Izaya stopped and turned to look for the source of the voice. He smiled slightly as he gazed down at one of his usual clients, Harima Mika; A third year girl with an obsessive crush on the school secretary's younger brother, Seiji Yagiri.

Izaya took pride in his reputation as Raijin's trouble-making-heart-throb, but he was also very passionate about his other interests; which included observing people and their behavior. His tasks were very simple. He gathered the required information for his source, and he received a certain amount of money for a successful run. He planned to take this side job even further someday and become an underground informant.

Harima often paid Izaya top dollar to follow Seiji around constantly and find out every last detail about the boy; From his favorite music, to his shoe size, to what shampoo he used. Izaya delivered it all.

"What can I do for you today, Harima-san?" He asked and plopped down at her lunch table. Hirama shooed away her friends so she could talk with him in private.

She rolled her chopsticks between her fingers and stared down at the table. "I need you to do something for me."

Izaya smirked and leaned back in his seat. "Let me guess. You need me to follow Seiji around town again?"

"Not this time. It's about something else.." She started, the look in her eyes turning deadly.

"I've run into a bit of a small.. _problem_." She said through gritted teeth.

"Problem, like how?" Izaya asked.

"Some second-year little bitch named Ayana Mikazuki is directing Seiji's attention towards her ever since they were paired together for a skit during drama club." She hissed.

"And as you found out, Seiji is drawn to bubbly little virgin princesses like her."

Izaya smirked to himself as he recalled the very girl Harima was speaking of. Ayana had been the one who gave him the note to meet up with her this weekend.

_She couldn't be that innocent if she was inviting him to her house, given his reputation. Though, he's met her type before. They show it off, but they don't give it up. Your shining example of a tease._

"And what does any of this have to do with me?" He questioned, rocking back on his chair legs.

"I went to great lengths to please Seiji. And what happens? He ditches me to start hanging out with innocent little twats like Ayana. I want her squeaky clean reputation tarnished. When I get through with her, she'll be known as the biggest whore in all of Ikebukuro." She said with a devilish grin.

"Well what exactly would you like me to do? What's your plan?" He asked and picked up his apple to take bite.

Her smirk grew even wider and she leaned in closely to whisper into his ear.

Izaya swallowed his food and let out a deep breath. "I don't know.. We're not exactly talking about a simple information heist here."

Mika sat back in her seat and folded her arms. "What do you mean you don't know?"

He shut his eyes. "I'm _saying_, before I even consider going through with this, I just want to make you aware of the damage we're going to cause. "

She blinked for a moment, her expression unchanging. "I'm aware." She shrugged.

Izaya pinched the bridge of his nose. "Are you really? I mean I've done some pretty fucked up things in my days.. But if word gets out about this, both of us could wind up expelled, or worse. The girls from before had all been more than willing to participate in their affairs, I simply exposed them afterwards. But this is_ blackmail_. We're destroying an innocent girl, you do realize that?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Ayana Mikazuki is going down. And if you won't help me, someone else will."

The raven chuckled softly. "Really, Harima. You should just be direct with the boy and tell him how you feel."

"No way, Izaya. I know what I'm doing. Once I find out every single thing about Seiji, I'll finally be able to morph myself into his dream girl. And he'll be drawn to me forever!" She said, putting her hands together in a dreamily sort of way as she pictured her deranged fantasies coming true.

"And I'm _not_ about to let Seiji be stolen away from me. I'll be damned if she so much as looks at him ever again."

"You _amaze_ me." He sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, Orihara. So do we have an agreement?" She said, pulling out an envelope from her school bag and sliding it across the table.

Izaya opened the envelope and his eyes grew wide as he counted out the cash. It was over three times the amount he made for his usual jobs.

"And also.." She added. "I heard from Shinra that you're going after Heiwajima as a sort of twisted bet. I think I can help you out."

He perked up a bit. "I'm listening."

"You know the transfer student over there, Tom Tanaka." She said as her eyes glanced over at Shizuo's table.

Izaya looked over and nodded. "What about him?"

"Well, we have fourth period together and happen to be pretty good friends. I could get him to talk to Shizuo for you. You know, put in a good word. Maybe soften the Beast's hard exterior a bit."

He tapped his chin.

_If Tom could talk with Shizu-chan and convince him to lighten up, he'd have a better chance at getting closer to the blonde. And he could finally start working on his side of the wager.. This was too good an __opportunity __to pass up. _

Izaya's eyes flashed with malice and he wore a cunning smile as he shook Mika's hand.

"I'm at your service."

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Izaya arrived at Ayana's house after school had let out. He stood on the porch and sent her a quick text, letting her know he was outside. Dogs barked in the distance, and police sirens could be heard nearby.

_This side of town definitely wasn't as nice as where Shizu-chan lived._ Izaya thought to himself.

The sound of a chain rattled and the front door pulled open.

"Hello Izaya-kun." Smiled the flighty auburn haired girl.

"Good evening, Aya-chan." He smiled, and placed a kiss on her cheek.

He opened his bag, pulling out a bottle of wine and a few DVDs. "I brought something to drink a few movies."

She grinned at this and beckoned him inside. "That sounds great! Come on in!"

She led him into the kitchen and grabbed a glass for herself, and another for Izaya. She reached into the drawer and passed him a bottle opener.

He pulled the cork out of the bottle with a pop, and smirked as he poured her drink. He followed Ayana up to her bedroom. He handed her the DVDs and she walked over to the television to put on a movie and sat down on the bed. Izaya looked around the room as he brought the glass over to her.

She quickly downed her wine and asked for another with a coy smile. He happily obliged. It wasn't long before the girl had finished off half the bottle. She hiccuped and rolled over onto her stomach, sipping from her glass and kicking her legs into the air.

Izaya pulled out a camera and took a quick photo of her. She noticed the flash, and rolled over onto her back to face him.

"What are you doing?" She asked with a giggle.

"Just taking your photo." The boy said grinning. "You're a very beautiful girl, Aya-chan. Has anyone ever told you that you could be a model?"

She blushed slightly and lifted her face. "Really?"

"Yeah." He nodded, his eyes trailing off to look through the camera. "It's just too bad you're not sexy."

"I can be sexy!" She argued, and sat up on the bed.

He looked up and let out a sigh. "Alright. Show me sexy.."

She smiled and began turning this way and that, making ridiculously over the top faces and posing provocatively as he snapped more photos. He contained his laughter and pretended to be impressed.

"That's really sexy." He told her, lowering the camera. "But why don't you make yourself more comfortable?"

She nodded and sat indian style. Izaya was at a loss for words when the girl began to meditate.

"No no no no.." He tutted, shaking his head.

"Come here." He beckoned her with his finger.

He quickly unzipped her sweatshirt, revealing her lacy white bra.

"Now that's sexy." He smirked and snapped more pictures of the bubbly girl as she spun in circles.

"Aya-chan, you know what'd be super _duper_ sexy?" He grinned and the girl shrugged her shoulders.

"If you lost, _all_ the clothes." He said with a wink.

She laughed airily, and hung her mouth open.

"_I don't think so._" She said with a scowl and began pulling on her clothes.

"Look, I'm not feeling so well.. Maybe you should just leave."

Izaya looked over at the photos that lined the shelves of her dresser. He quickly recognized a photo of her with a fourth year boy from the soccer team. He was Ayana's older brother. A contact book sat next to the phone. He opened it and found his name and cell number listed under '_Nii-sama'_. She certainly held a close relationship with him.

"You're right. That was out of line. I don't know if you're gonna be okay by yourself though, you have been drinking a bit too much.." He said, shaking his head.

"Maybe I should call your older brother so he can come stay with you until you feel better."

Her eyes widened. "N-no, you don't have to do that!"

"_Ohhh_ _man!_ He doesn't know I'm here, does he!" He said, slapping his palm against his forehead and faking a surprised expression.

She put on a guilty smile and frantically nodded.

"He's just staying over at a friend's down the road. I'll be alright!" She tried to reassure him.

"Hmm.. I don't know. I think I should call him anyway." He said, picking up the phone.

She jumped down from the bed and crawled over to his side, gripping his jeans and bowing her head.

"No! You can't do that! Please don't call my brother! Please, please!" She pleaded.

Izaya clutched the phone and sighed. "Aya-channn, all I want to do is give you a kiss."

She looked up at him and leaned her head to the side. "Just one kiss?"

He pulled the girl up to her feet and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "I swear."

"Okay.." She breathed and closed her eyes, puckering her lips. Izaya rolled his eyes and began to unbotton her shorts.

"Wait, what are you doing?" She started to protest.

"Aya-chan, you promised to let me kiss you." He said in an innocent tone.

She furrowed her brow and tried to make sense of things. "Then why are you-" He lifted his finger to her lips, cutting her off.

"I don't want to kiss you here. I want to kiss youuu.. _there_." He said, touching the space between her thighs.

She looked deeply confused. "Huh?"

"A promise is a promise." He told her matter-of-factly.

Ayana frowned and began to pull down her shorts. Izaya smirked and slowly dropped to his knees. She stared off at the wall as he began with his strange ministrations.

"Hehe! That tickles.." She giggled.

"W-what are you.." The girl started as the feeling become far more intense. "Hahh..! Ooh.."


	5. Keep your Frienemies close

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Five**_

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It was early afternoon and the sun was shining brightly over Ikebukuro at the local park. Squealing children raced by to chase the ducks near the pond. Young mothers strolled their babies along while chatting with friends and a few people walked their dogs along the path.

Underneath a large umbrella, Seiji Yagiri and Ayana Mikazuki sat together at a picnic table. The girl mindlessly poked at her assortment of fruit as she stared down at her plate. She kicked her feet out with her eyebrows knitted as she sat deep in thought.

"Aya-chan. Is everything okay?" Seiji asked, taking a sip of his tea.

"..Aya?"

_"Ayana!"_

"What.. Huh?" She jumped and looked up at the boy seated across from her.

"Are you feeling alright? You seem a bit out of it today." Seiji asked, rubbing the back of his head.

"I'm okay." She replied softly and clutched the hem of her skirt under the table. Her mind had been reeling for the last twelve hours. She wasn't sure how to feel about the events that had occurred in her bedroom last night.

"Hey guys!" Shinra called with a large grin and strode up to the table.

"Konichiwa!~" Izaya chirped, popping out from behind Shinra. Ayana flinched as she saw the very person who had been plaguing her thoughts. She was equally surprised as the two sat down at the table.

"What's going on here? You two on a date or something?" He teased, and Seiji's face flushed a bit.

"N-no, it's not like that. You two can sit here with us! I was just about to get a game of disc-golf started, if you'd like to join in. You guys want something to eat first? We packed a bunch of stuff." Seiji offered, pointing to the picnic basket on the end of the table.

"Oh! Don't mind if I do!" Shinra hooted and happily dug through the boxes and containers to find something to eat. He pulled out a bento for himself and another for Izaya.

Shinra broke open his chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!" He cheered and dug into his lunch. The group joked and chatted about their weekend plans and other recent events. Everyone was enjoying each other's company and he gorgeous weather- everyone except Ayana. She sat quietly looking off into the distance.

Seiji turned to her with a concerned look. "Are you not hungry, Aya-chan? You've barely touched your food."

"Oh.. I-I'm fine, Seiji-kun. The sunlight's just a bit strong today." She tried to reassure him and took a bite of her strawberry.

She nervously looked up at Izaya. He kept his eyes locked with hers as he stroked the end of his chopsticks suggestively. He flicked his tongue over the top row of his shiny white teeth and gave the girl a wink. She suppressed a gag and spit the chewed fruit onto her plate, causing everyone to turn and look at her.

She stood from her seat suddenly. "Excuse me." She said with a small smile and ran towards the pond.

"That was rude. What's wrong with her?" Izaya asked with a puzzled look. The rest of the group shrugged and continued with their conversation.

"Oh, you guys look who it is!" Shinra said suddenly. He quickly wiped his face with a napkin and stood up waving his arms. "Hey! Over here you guys!" He called.

Harima Mika walked over accompanied by none other than Tom Tanaka. She exchanged glances with Izaya and feigned a surprised expression. "Wow! What a coincidence running into you guys here!"

Seiji smiled and scooched over, patting the seat next to him. "I know right! We were just about to get a game of disc golf going and we could use some extra players!"

Mika plopped down next to Seiji and Tom took a seat by Izaya. Seiji turned to face her and leaned down near her shoulder for a moment. "You smell really good, Harima-san! Is it sweet pea? I absolutely adore the smell!" He admitted shyly.

"Oh, thanks! Yeah it's just some body lotion I had in my purse." She said with a giggle.

He stared at her face for a moment. "You know, I never noticed what a bright shade of blue your eyes were. I always found blue eyed girls to be ridiculously attractive.."

Mika wagged her hand in embarrassment. "Oh Seiji-kun, stop it! You're going to make me blush in front of my friends!"

Izaya smirked to himself at the performance she was putting on. _She had memorized some of Seiji's favorite things and was beginning to use them on herself to lure him in. Man, this girl was good.._

She turned to Tom as she chewed on a slice of watermelon. "Oh, I almost forgot. Tanaka-san, this is my good friend Orihara Izaya."

Tom nodded and stuck out his hand. "What's up, man!" He said with a bright smile. Izaya shook his hand and poured himself a glass of iced tea. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I've heard all about you from Mika-chan. She told me that you were recently selected for the honor roll. Congratulations!" He praised, raising his cup.

"Thanks! I've heard a little about you too here and there. Not quite the most positive things per say.. but I'm not one to judge a person by what I hear. I like to meet them first and then decide how I feel."

Izaya sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah, it's pretty hard to make new friends around here due to all the gossip running through the school. I'm glad you think for yourself and stick to what you believe in, Tanaka-san. I can really respect that."

Tom smiled and thanked him. "Well you seem like an okay guy in my book so far."

"Well I'm glad you two are getting along so well!" Mika chimed in. "I told you, you'd like Izaya! He's really not a bad person, despite his rep."

Shinra and Seiji both nodded in agreement.

Izaya was practically basking in his own glory with all these compliments being thrown at him.

Mika kicked his shin under the table, breaking him from his trance. He glared over at her. She motioned her head towards the pond where Ayana had run off too.

"Oh! uh.. Seiji, Ayana was acting a bit strange earlier. Do you know if everything was alright with her?" Izaya asked, putting on a worried expression.

"I'm not sure.. but you're right. I think I should go check and see if she's okay." Seiji said, standing from his seat, but Mika grabbed onto his sleeve and gently pulled him back down.

"Why don't I go do that for you, Seiji-kun? It's probably just girl stuff, you know.. I'll talk to her!" She said with an innocent smile.

Seiji perked up. "That's very sweet of you, Harima-san. I really appreciate it!"

"It's no trouble at all!" She giggled and stood up from the table to go find Ayana. Her expressions were like day and night as soon as she turned her back; A scowl instantly taking over her features.

"_God.._ if I had to keep acting like Mary Sunshine any longer, I would have lost my lunch.."

She lifter her hand, grabbing the ring on her finger and pulled it apart, revealing a small amount of coke underneath the jewel. She pressed it to her nose, inhaling the sparkling white powder and her azure eyes quickly brightened up.

"This is gonna be a long day.." She muttered as she walked off.

.

.

.

Ayana sat near the pond, pulling out blades of grass and tossing them into the water as she sobbed quietly. Harima walked over to her and bent down to her side, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh.. Hi, Harima-san." She sniffled. Her eyes were a bit puffy and red. It was obvious she had been crying.

"Is everything alright?" She asked, seemingly concerned.

"No!" She shouted, the tears spilling from her eyes.

Mika rubbed her back sympathetically. "Calm down. Tell me what's wrong."

Ayana wiped the tears from her eyes and gripped the hem of her skirt again. "Something _awful_ happened last night.."

"What do you mean?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"I don't think you want to know.." She said, and averted her gaze from the other girl's. "It involves your friend, Izaya."

She gripped the girl's shoulders. "Ayana, you have to tell me."

She looked around and spoke in a low whisper. "He came over last night.. and he took advantage of me."

Her eyes widened. "Why didn't you do something?"

She shrugged. "I don't know!"

"So let me get this straight. Izaya came to your house late last night and he forced intercourse on you?" Mika said, trying to wrap her head around what had gone on.

She chewed her bottom lip. "Not exactly.."

"He.. made you give him a blowjob?" She listed next.

"No! Ew.." Ayana replied, scrunching up her nose.

"Well what then!" She said asked impatiently.

Ayana fideted her thumbs nervously before leaning over to whisper into her ear.

"He went down on you?" She stated matter-of-factly.

"If that's what you call it.." She muttered and lowered her eyes.

"Well did you like it?"

"No!" She said quickly.

"No?" Mika asked raising a brow.

"Well I don't know.. It was.. weird. I mean at first it felt icky. And then it was sorta.. okay." Ayana explained closing her eyes.

"And then I started getting all _hot_, and I started.. _shaking_. And then.. I don't know.. It was weird. It was like a.. It was like.. an _explosion_!"

"But a good one." She added.

"Ayana.." Mika said, leaning in closely to her face. "You had an _orgasm_."

Ayana's eyes shot up. _".. I did?"_

"You're becoming a woman. I'm so proud of you." She praised with a smile.

"I am!" Ayana squealed and brought Mika into a tight hug.

"Ayana!" She grunted and pried the bubbly girl off of her. She gripped her shoulders and caught her gaze.

"Now that you're on your way it would be stupid of you to stop. Think of Izaya as a tutor." She said softly, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "Let him instruct you."

Ayana made a face. "But I dont even like him.. I like Seiji!"

"So?" She snorted. "Don't you want to make Seiji happy? Practice makes perfect, Ayana. My advice is to sleep with as _many. people. as possible_." She whispered, emphasizing the last few words.

She stood and turned to walk back to join the others.

"But that would make me a slut! ..Wouldn't it?" Ayana asked.

"Aya.. Everybody does it. It's just that nobody talks about it." She explained, placing a finger to her lips and turned away again.

"So it's like a secret society!" Ayana called out.

Mika tried to contain her anger as she looked back at the object of her hatred. Her stupid innocent face was making her blood boil. "That's one way of looking at it." She smiled and shrugged, turning back for the last time and walked off.

_"Fucking idiot.."_ She rolled her eyes as she left. She needed to inform Izaya of her newfound information, and continue with her sinister plan.

Ayana's almond eyes lit up. "Cool.."

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.

.

Izaya and Tom walked along the path that lead onto the small playground. They sat on top of the monkey bars and chatted about school, work and everything else that they felt like.

Izaya showed off his parkour skills on the park equipment, and taught Tom how to do a double backflip. Izaya smiled to himself at how quickly they were getting to know one another. It seemed like everything was moving along smoothly so far. Though Izaya was always too impatient for his own good, and wanted to speed things up a little faster.

"So Tanaka-san, I noticed that you hang out with Heiwajima sometimes. Those kids at school seem to give him a hard time pretty often, huh?" He said, as they walked back down the path towards the park as the sun started to go down.

Tom shook his head. "Yeah.. It's not even right. Shizuo's really a big softie despite what everyone might think. He actually hates violence, though he seems to have trouble controlling his temper when he's being harassed and ends up going berserk."

Izaya folded his arms. "That really is a shame. I wish I could help him out somehow. He seems pretty lonely at school. If he made a few more friends I'm sure he'd be much happier."

Tom stopped walking and rubbed his chin. "You might be right about that. You know.. Why don't you come along with us to the Spring Festival tomorrow night? Everyone from school will be there. And it'd be fun to get a group together. I'll try to get Shizuo to tag along. It'd be good for him."

Izaya smiled brightly. "That sounds like a great idea. I could meet you guys there, definitely."

"Awesome!" Tom said and turned to head back to the park. "I'll go tell the others." He called as he jogged off.

He grinned and stepped forward to follow him. His leg was suddenly yanked back and he fell onto the dirt with a hard thud.

"What the hell?!" Izaya snapped, looking back. Mika climbed out from behind the slide and stood over him.

"You really need to seek some professional help about your stalking complex.." He grumbled.

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever.. Just shut up, and listen. I've got some news to share with you."

He stood up and dusted off his clothes. "Well what is it?"

"I talked with Ayana. And she's all choked up from your little visit last night. I think she might be on the right track. With a little more work, she'll be packing her bags and on her way to Whoreville in no time. So in the meantime.. I have another task for you."

"_What_.." He said in a harsh tone and narrowed his eyes.

"It's part of my new plan." She explained.

"Tch.. Fuck that. I'm not getting involved in anything else you're plotting." He said sternly.

"Oh, but you will. And you're going to do exactly what I tell you, Orihara." She declared in a vicious tone.

"Ha! What makes you think I have to listen to a word you say. I've already got the money. You're on your own!" He snorted and turned to leave.

"_Fucking nutcase_.." He said under his breath.

"Because I've got this." She informed him, holding up the memory card to his camera. "The dirty evidence of your events from last night.. It's all right here on this little baby."

He froze and turned back to her. "How did you get that?"

"You left your bag at the table." She giggled.

"I knew once you got your money you'd try and weasel your way out of our deal. But listen to me, and listen well. You walk away from this now, and I turn this over to the principal. How's that sound?"

Izaya let out a small chuckle and looked up at her with an icy glare.

"So you're really going to blackmail me after having me blackmail Ayana. I can't believe you. Mika-chan, you really are one screwed up girl.." He said shaking his head.

"But I really should applaud you for this. You're the only person I've met who's even more conniving than myself."

Mika grinned with malice and slipped the small card into her bra. "So what's it gonna be Izaya?"

He sighed and stuffed his hands into his pockets as he realized he had been double-crossed.

"I suppose I've got no other choice then, do I? What's the new plan?"


	6. Like Moths to Flames

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Six**_

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_"Fifty-one.. Fifty-two.. Fifty-three.. Fifty-four.."_

Shizuo counted out loud as he leaned his upper torso off the side of his bed and pulled himself back up. He jumped up after he finished his 100 sit ups and walked over to grab his jumprope from the wall.

His phone buzzed on his desk, and he paused from his workout to get a towel and wipe his brow. He flung the cloth over his shoulder and grabbed the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Shizuo what's up! It's Tom."

"You need something? I'm a little busy right now?" He panted out.

"Oh, is this a bad time? S-sorry dude I had no idea! Just call me back when she leaves." He sputtered.

Shizuo closed his eyes and sighed. "It's fine, Tom. I was just in the middle of a work out. What do you want?"

"Ohhhh.. haha! I just wanted to see if you had any plans for the night."

"Why? What's going on?" He asked and headed towards the kitchen.

"You know the Spring Festival is tonight, right? Everyone from school's gonna be there. And there'll be games, music, food, and a raffle drawing!" Tom explained. Shizuo could clearly hear the excitement in his voice.

He pulled a bottle of water out of the fridge and plopped down at the table. He unscrewed the cap and chugged down the cool liquid.

"I don't know, Tom.." He breathed out and leaned back in his chair.

"C'mon, man! I asked Shinra, Celty, Seiji and everyone to meet up with us later! They're all really looking forward to seeing you there.." He whined.

Shizuo held his forehead and shut his eyes. "..I'll think about it."

"Well if you decide to come, we'll meet you there. Sound good?"

"That's fine."

"Alright man, see you around!"

**_Click_**

Shizuo stood from the table and headed towards the bathroom for a shower. He pushed open the door, setting his phone onto the counter and stripped off his shirt. Right as he was about to pull off his shorts, his phone buzzed again.

_"Now what.."_ He grumbled and snatched the device from the sink.

**[Hey! I'm feeling tons better and I'm gonna go to the Spring Festival with some friends tonight. You going? ****:)]**

His eyes lit up, and he quickly typed out a reply.

**[Yeah. I'll be there.]**

**...**

**[Awesome! We should totally meet up someplace! I hear there's gonna be fireworks at the bridge!]**

**...**

**[Sounds good!]**

**...**

**[I'm a little nervous.. But I can't wait to see you! I'll text you when I get there ok?]**

**...**

**[Okay. I can't wait to see you too!]**

Shizuo smiled slightly and placed the phone back onto the sink.

"I guess tonight won't be so bad.." He shrugged and stepped into the shower.

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.

.

The streets of Ikebukuro were alive and busy as the street vendors pushed their carts onto the road, and began to stock their shelves with fresh treats. From Yakitori and Takoyaki, to cotton candy and popcorn.

Lanterns and balloons were strung up onto the sides of buildings and hung along the street signs. Girls strode by, lavishly adorned in decorative silk yakatas with fancy flower pins clipped into their hair.

Groups of people cheered as they danced the _Bon-Odori_, and several children were gathered around a stand to buy plastic masks of their favorite anime characters.

One girl in particular, walked along the busy crowd in her usual over-sized black hoodie and jeans. The heels of her boots clicked as she ran over to Shinra, and pulled on his arm.

Seiji Yagiri and Tom Tanaka had finished their last round of Cork Shooting in a tie, and were now going head-to-head in an intense match of of ring toss. They were both far too competitive to lose to the other, even in such simple games.

"What is it, Celty?" Shirna asked, turning to the hooded girl. She tugged his sleeve and pointed over to the ice cream stand.

"Aw, Celty. Can't that wait a bit? They just started their fourth game and I'm putting money on Tom!" He explained, and tried to coax her to be patient.

She slowly lowered her hand and shuffled her feet. Shinra felt his heart strings pulling at her obvious disappointment.

"Okay.. Come on." He said with a grin and she instantly perked up. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along, skipping through the crowd. He chuckled at how adorable she was being and pulled out his wallet when they reached the stand.

"One french vanilla for me, and a double scoop of mint chocolate chip for her." He said, motioning to Celty. She bounced in place as she waited for her sweet treat.

"Here you are. Your favorite!" Shinra grinned and she eagerly reached her arms out to grab it, only to watch as Shinra was suddenly shoved. The ice cream cone was knocked out of his hands and fell to the ground with a splat.

She looked down at the ground, her hands trembling. Shinra gulped and turned around.

"Oops! So sorry! I didn't see you guys there!" A boy with a large smirk held up his hands, and his two friends behind him snickered.

"I don't know how the freak planned on eating that anyway if she doesn't even have a head!" Another jeered.

Celty looked up at the boys and clenched her fists. She stepped forward to give the bullies a piece of her mind, but Shinra quickly stood in the way.

"Y-you guys better apologize! A-and you should buy her another one for knocking into me on purpose like that!" He shouted, moving her behind him.

"Ha! Not on your life! What the hell are you gonna do about it anyway, Kishitani?" The boy said, grabbing Shinra's glasses from his face and tossing them over his shoulder.

A hand shot up and caught the glasses before they hit the ground. "What's going on here?" Called an eerily familiar voice.

The boys slowly turned around and the color drained from their faces. "H-Heiwajima!" They all cried in unison.

_"Ah?"_ He questioned again, with a scowl. He stepped forward, and the group quickly disappeared as fast as they could, tripping over one another as they scrambled away.

Shizuo watched as they fled, and handed Shinra back his glasses. "Tch.. What a bunch of cowards. You guys okay?"

"Yeah.. Thanks.." He said, placing the frames back onto his eyes. Celty walked around to Shizuo's side and also thanked him.

"So you actually decided to show up tonight. You hate festivals! What made you change your mind?" Shinra asked.

Shizuo scratched his head and lowered his eyes. "I'm supposed to meet somebody here.."

Celty and Shinra both flinched in surprise. "Oh really? Are you here on a date?" He queried, nudging the blonde with his elbow.

His eyes shot up and a light blush dusted his cheeks. "Sort of.." He admitted coyly.

Shinra laughed. "Aww! Shizuo, that's great! Say hello to her for us, will you? " He teased, poking his cheek.

"Yeah..Yeah.." Shizuo muttered looking back at his phone.

Celty looked over at her smushed dessert and put her hands over her face, shaking her head back and forth.

"I-I'll get you another one, Celty! Don't worry.." Shinra said, taking her hand. "Oh, Shizuo.. Seiji and Tom were looking for you near the game tents! We'll meet you guys over there in a bit." Shinra called as the pair went back for Celty's ice cream cone.

He waved as the two walked off and he picked up his phone. He didn't have any texts from his mystery girl yet, so he decided to look for Tom. _I hope she gets here soon.. _He thought, and walked off into the crowd.

Meanwhile, Mika and Ayana sat together at a bench. They were both dressed in gorgeous yakatas, and Mika was twisting Ayana's hair up into a decorative braid.

Ayana hummed to herself as she flipped through a magazine and nibbled from her bag of cotton candy.

"So I hear you and Izaya spent the day together at the zoo. You must be excited to see him again tonight. Festivals can be _very_ romantic." Mika smiled as she weaved her long auburn locks together.

"Mmm.. I guess.." She said, shrugging her shoulders and pulling off another chunk of the fluffy sweet. "But he's not the one I want to see tonight. We just don't have very much in common. He's really self-absorbed and he kept going on about some bulimic headcase he'd been paired up with for the science fair. He said she likes Seiji too."

Mika's jaw twitched and her smile quickly faded. "Bulimic headcase.. Really?"

"Yeah.. What a loser she must have been.." She said, shaking her head. "Ow!" She cried, when she received a harsh tug on her hair.

"Sorry, my hand slipped." Mika apologized, and rolled her eyes. She finished twisting Aya's hair into a rose-shaped braid and stepped back to admire her work.

"All finished." She smiled and Ayana sat up to pull a mirror from her bag. "Pretty!" She giggled and thanked her.

"Now let's go find the others, shall we?" Mika said, smoothing out her kimono. Ayana bounced behind her, blabbing on and on about all the games she wanted to play, and things she wanted to see and do with Seiji.

Mika gritted her teeth and tried to refrain herself from strangling the girl.

"Hey guys! We're over here!" Tom called, waving his arms out. Mika glared at Izaya as she walked by. Ayana averted her eyes from his gaze and they went to find Seiji. Izaya grinned widely and blew the two girls a kiss.

Shinra and Celty were playing Goldfish Scoop, and Seiji was busy at a strongman game. He lifted and slammed the large mallet onto the lever. The puck rose all the way to the top and rung the bell.

"We have a winner!" The man running the booth cheered, and pulled out a large stuffed panda. "Give that to your special lady. You've earned it!"

Mika and Ayana exchanged glances, and both ran towards Seiji arguing over who he should give the bear to.

"Shizuo! You made it!" Tom shouted, turning Izaya's attention towards the sidewalk. As soon as he heard those words, his smile grew even bigger.

The blonde walked over with his face glued to his cellphone. "Hey guys."

"I'm so glad you decided to show! You're gonna have a much better time here than sitting cooped up in that place by yourself all night!" Tom said, pulling him under his arm for a side hug.

"Oh yeah!" He said, looking over at Izaya. "You remember Orihara-san from school, right?"

Shizuo didn't even look up from his phone. "Sadly, yes." Was his unenthusiastic reply.

Izaya gave a guilty laugh and wagged his hand. "I know we might have gotten off on the wrong foot, and I want to apologize for my past behavior."

"Orihara's pretty cool. You should see some of his moves! I've never met anyone who can parkour like this guy!" Tom expressed. The shorter boy coyly thanked him for his admiration.

Izaya smiled at Shizuo and spoke politely. "So, Heiwajima.. Tanaka-san and I were just about to head over to the vendor carts and grab something to eat. Would you like to come? My treat."

Shizuo leaned his head to the side as he looked at Izaya, giving him a one-over. "I would come along, but I'm supposed to be meeting someone here." He explained, and Tom's shoulders slumped.

"Aw! Come on! You can just tell her to meet you over there!" He whined. "I finally get you to come to a social gathering and you're already trying to ditch us!"

"Heheh. It's okay, Heiwajima-san. I understand." Izaya said, pulling the overly emotional boy out of the way. "If you change your mind, you know where to find us!"

Shizuo nodded and watched as the two walked off. He tapped his chin as he tried to decide what to do.

The flea didn't really seem like he was up to anything weird. Not right now, anyway. And if Tom was hanging out with him, he supposed Orihara couldn't be_ that_ bad. He decided to give the mystery girl another half hour, and he'd go find them if she didn't show.

He walked over towards the park and took a seat at an empty bench. Groups of kids walked by, laughing about one boy with his face painted like a monkey. It looked as if everyone was having a blast and enjoying their night. Shizuo's stomach began to twist and he started to get an uneasy feeling as he sat alone.

He frowned and looked down at his phone after fifteen minutes had passed. He still didn't have any new messages. He wondered if she was even going to come tonight.

Just then, his phone buzzed and a message popped up on the screen.

**[Hey, something came up with my relatives in Shinjuku and I won't be able to make it tonight.. I'm really sorry!]**

Shizuo felt a mix of embarrassment, anger and disappointment as he was stood up once again. He shoved his phone into his pocket and sulked towards the end of the bridge. He looked off at the calm ripples of the water. The waves were rolling softly as couples loaded up into paddle boats.

A large boom sounded out, followed by the 'Ooos' and 'Ahhs' of the people nearby. Sparkling hues of reds, purples and blues flashed overhead, casting down onto the ground below.

He sighed and leaned forward onto the railing.

"I knew it had to be too good to be true.. Christ.. I'm such an idiot. Why did I even try?" He whispered, and chucked a pebble off the edge of the metal bars.

He slumped down onto the ground and buried his face into his arms.

"Hey."

Shizuo slowly lifted his head and was slightly surprised to see Izaya standing over him.

"Your date never show?" He asked, handing the boy a Takoyaki. Shizuo didn't know what to say as he took the fried treat.

"Thanks.. And no. I guess I wasted my time." He said, looking off into the distance.

Izaya crouched down and took a seat near the blonde. "I'm really sorry to hear that. Did she at least let you know why she couldn't be here?"

He frowned and rolled the wooden stick between his forefinger and thumb." She said something came up. But I think she's just not interested anymore, to tell you the truth."

"Well that's her loss. You shouldn't worry too much about it." Izaya tried to reassure him, taking a bite of his snack. "I think anyone would be lucky to go on a date with you." He said in between chews.

Shizuo froze and looked over at Izaya. The raven haired boy gave him a bright smile and looked up at the sky. "The fireworks really are incredible tonight."

Shizuo took a bite of his Takoyaki and looked up at the colorful burst of sparks. Izaya whistled and clapped his hands. He turned to Shizuo when the face of _Hello Kitty_ flashed and sparkled. His reddish-brown eyes were full of excitement, like a child receiving a christmas present.

Shizuo was shocked when he caught himself beginning to smile a bit. It was strange.. A few moments ago, his stomach had been tied in knots and he was having thoughts about going home; But now.. it was as if all those feelings had suddenly vanished.

_Could it be? Because of.. No. There's no way._. He thought, shaking the bizarre idea from his mind.

The pair sat together on the bridge watching the fireworks. After the show had ended, they went back to walk through town. Chatting and strolling around until everyone had packed up to leave, and the streets were empty.

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.

"And everyone thought it was the butcher! Man, I couldn't believe it had really been the sheriff all along!" Izaya said, clicking his tongue as they walked down the road towards Shizuo's apartment.

Shizuo chuckled and nodded. "Yeah, I thought he looked pretty shady when he was snooping around the school that night. But my hunch about the sheriff turned out to be right."

"I'm dying to know what happens next.. My sisters got me the first three box sets for my birthday, and I've been hooked ever since! I wish I could watch season four, but it's not out on DVD yet. And it's not airing on tv anymore.." Izaya said, dragging his feet.

"I've got the fourth season downloaded onto my laptop. You could come over sometime and watch it, or I could send you the links or.. something." He said shyly.

Izaya hopped down from the curb and walked over to his side. "Hmm.. The first suggestion doesn't sound bad. We could do that if you want!" He grinned.

Shizuo's eyes shot up. "Really?"

"Sure, I'd love to! Why don't I come by tomorrow night? I can bring some Red Bull and popcorn."

"Okay." Shizuo smiled softly and looked down at the ground. He felt a bit better knowing that he wouldn't be spending the day alone again after school.

The pair reached the front steps and he awkwardly thanked Izaya for keeping him company.

"It's cool. I couldn't just leave a friend hanging like that!" He said, and sent him a smile. "Well, I guess I should be getting home soon. You enjoy your night!" He said and turned to walk back down the porch.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then." The blonde called and waved goodbye.

Izaya lifted his hand as he rounded the corner and made his way back through Ikebukuro. He skipped with a little extra pep in his step as he headed home for the night.

Shizuo had been lured in like a moth to a flame. More like a moth to a spider's web, actually. He had his prey exactly where he needed it to be, and when the moment was right, he'd go in for the kill. He snickered to himself as he walked through the quiet streets,

_"Heh.. I'll definitely be seeing you tomorrow, Shizu-chan."_


	7. What Lies Beneath The Surface

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Seven**_

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_Shizuo slowly brought his trembling fingers up to unbutton his white shirt. __The nervous blonde looked around the empty classroom and gulped. __Izaya stood leaning against the chalkboard. He smirked as he walked over to him, his impatient hands shooting up to finish the job himself._

_He pulled his top open and tugged it off his shoulders, quickly doing the same with his own shirt. _

_"Wait.. I don't know if we should.. I mean. What if someone walks-" Shizuo inhaled sharply when he felt fingertips tracing over the skin on his abdomen._

_"Shhh.." The raven haired boy cooed and backed him against a desk, climbing up into his lap; his hands slowly making their way lower and fumbling with the buckle of his belt._

_ "Just relax, Shizu-chan.." He purred into his ear, flicking his tongue out to trace the shell of his ear._

_Izaya pulled his face down to his and placed a soft kiss on his lips. He poked his tongue out and slid it across his bottom lip, asking for entry. He chuckled slightly when he felt the blonde's mouth slowly comply, and pushed__ it into his wet cavern; their two tongues tangling together as he brought his hand up behind his neck, kissing him deeply. A small trail of saliva still connected their lips as he pulled away._

_He trailed wet kisses down his shoulder and collarbone, and began to slide his pants down his thighs, kneeling down in front of him. His crimson eyes were locked with Shizuo's half-lidded brown ones as he slipped off his underwear and leaned his head forward._

_" Hah-! __Hahh..__" He breathed out and Izaya paused for a moment to look up at him._

_"W-what is it?" The blonde panted, a puzzled look on his face and his mouth was slightly parted. His hair was rustled and his eyes were glazed over in pleasure._

_"I'm just enjoying the view.." He giggled and continued._

_He groaned and shut his eyes as Izaya began working on him with expert skill. His mind was in a haze as he felt wave after wave of scorching pleasure washing over him. His breathing became ragged and he started __letting out breathy moans as he felt himself being brought closer and closer to his release._

_Izaya let out a small sound of satisfaction, and took him deeper into his mouth._

_"Hnn..! Oh..God-!" He choked out in a strangled cry, and gritted his teeth as he reached the near point of ecstasy._

_**BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!**_

Shizuo shot up in bed, knocking his forehead against the shelf above.

"Agh..! Shit.." He cursed breathlessly, and slammed his fist onto the alarm clock, smashing it to pieces.

"Perfect.." He panted, shaking his head and flung the blankets off his body, which was covered in a layer of sweat.

He awkwardly looked down at his lap. He closed his eyes in embarrassment and headed for the bathroom to take a cold shower. He stripped down and stepped into the icy stream of water.

Letting out a sigh he leaned his head against the marble wall in shame. He was growing tired of waking up and running to the bathroom like a prepubescent boy. It was pretty pathetic that he'd never so much as gone to second base with a girl, even at 17 years old.

_And that dream.._ He thought.

_What the hell was that about!? Orihara might fool around with anything he comes across, but he was damned sure he wasn't into that kind of shit!_

Although.. he did remember sharing a small kiss with his bunk mate at summer camp when he was thirteen during a game of truth of dare. And he had to admit, it wasn't as disgusting or repulsive as he had initially anticipated. But the dream he had was full blown tongue wrestling, skin to skin, male on male, _gay._

He growled as he shut off the water and stepped out to dry off.

_ There was no way.. That dream didn't mean anything. It was just his damn hormones and his mind running rampant. He was not attracted to the same sex, and he definitely was NOT attracted to the flea._

But somewhere, deep in his subconscious, a voice had come out and was ringing in his head like crazy.

**_Liar._**

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**_._**

It was late afternoon at Raijin, and the students were busy chatting away while they waited for their teacher to get back from her lunch break. Shizuo gripped his pen and furiously tapped his foot as he listened to a group of first year girls discussing his younger brother's return to the city.

"Hey, hey! did you guys hear? Yuhei Hanejima is going to be coming to Ikebukuro this week to film a new television show!"

"Eek! No way! He's actually coming here?"

"Oh my gosh! He's so cute I think I'd probably die if he just looked at me!~"

"I heard that he's hosting a meet and greet for some of his fans at the mall!"

"Eeek! Do you think we'll be able to get his autograph?_"_

_"Forget an autograph, I want a kiss!"_

The girls all giggled and continued to swoon. "Well I'm going to ask him if he'll be my date to prom!"

"Keep dreaming! I'm gonna see if I can steal his shirt! Heehee!"

No longer able to contain his annoyance, he stood from his chair and flipped over the table the flock of fangirls were occupying. The wooden desk was sent flying and hit the back wall with a loud crash.

"Just shut the hell up already, will ya'! All of you! Your squealing is like a power drill pushing into my ear canals!" He shouted at the stunned girls, clenching his fists.

They all shrieked and ran out of the classroom to get their sensei. The rest of the classroom stared in shocked silence.

He huffed and fell back into his desk, folding his arms.

"Hahaha! You really did it this time Shizuo!" Shinra hooted and clutched his stomach to contain his laughter. "You're going to make every girl in school afraid of you if you keep that up!"

"Tch.. It's too late for that. Besides, Kasuka doesn't need annoying girls like that in his face twenty four seven." He grumbled, propping his jaw up onto his elbow.

Shinra smiled and leaned back in his chair. "You must be pretty relieved he's coming back."

Shizuo snorted and chewed the tip of his pen. "Well it's about time he took a day off from his double life to stop into town. I was beginning to think he'd completely forgot about me."

"Oh, you know he'd never do such a thing! He loves his big bwother!~" He chimed, pinching Shizuo's cheek.

The blonde quickly snatched his wrist and held it in an iron grip.

"Agh!.. H-heiwajima-san..! I was only joking... Ow! Ow!" He cried out as his bone felt like it were on the brink of snapping.

Shizuo sighed and released his arm.

Shinra rubbed his sore wrist and plopped into his chair. "It's hard to believe that you two are actually related. Especially with the way he is on tv. You guys are nothing alike!" He added, pushing up his glasses.

"Right over there! Look what he did, Sensei!" The group of girls shouted as they stormed into the classroom.

The teacher took one look at Shizuo's scowling face and stepped back.

"Ah.. Um. Heiwajima-san.. I'm going to have to write you up for this, you know that right?" She called, peering around the door frame.

"Whatever.." He grumbled and stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked over to the exit, snatching the blue slip of paper from her fingers. He kicked open the door with his foot and stomped into the hallway.

"Stupid girls.. Stupid Shinra.." He cursed as he made his way to the principal's office.

_"And why not!?" _An angry female voice snapped.

Shizuo stopped in his tracks and took a step back. He leaned against the lockers and peered around the corner. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Harima Mika standing in the hall with Izaya.

"I just can't.. Not tonight!" He explained.

"We had a deal, Orihara! Or are you forgetting that I can simply turn you in if you piss me off?"

"Give me a break, Harima! You're killing me with this! Can't you put your deluded dreams on hold for one day?" He argued.

"I don't care what your plans are, Orihara! I already told you what to do, so get it done!" She shouted. The fuming girl turned on her heels and stomped off into the girls bathroom.

"I guess it can't be helped. I'll just have to reschedule some things.." Izaya sighed and pulled out his cellphone, walking up the staircase to the rooftop.

_What was all that about?_ Shizuo wondered. Not worrying too much about it, he headed towards the office.

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The school doors flung open and the students poured out onto the front of the campus to meet up with their friends and catch their rides home for the day.

Shizuo sulked over to the bus stop and took a seat on the bench. He had gotten detention again for his outburst in fifth period and was in a foul mood again.

He lifted his eyes when a black motorcycle pulled up along the side of the street and stopped in front of him. Celty tapped her fingers against her phone and held it up.

**[Need a ride?]****  
**

Shizuo's frowning face reflected in the black visor of her helmet. He slowly stood from the bench, tossing his bag over his shoulder. He walked around the side and jumped on. He hooked his arms around her waist and they pulled off down the road.

The pair rode in silence. Though this was fairly normal between the two.

Celty pulled to a screeching stop when they reached his apartment. He knitted his brows when he saw Izaya waiting for him on his front steps.

"Konichiwa!" The smiling raven called and waved out his arm.

"What the.." He said, unclipping his helmet and hopped down from the black bike towards the front steps. He stopped and turned around when he felt an arm reach up to grab his.

Celty held up her hand as if she wanted to say something, but hesitated.

"What is it?" Shizuo asked.

She brought her knuckles to her jaw and looked over at Izaya. He narrowed his crimson eyes and stared back at her; as if conveying a silent message. She shook her head before starting up her bike.

**[I'll see you tomorrow, Shizuo-san.]**

The blonde looked on in confusion as the strange girl drove away. Shrugging it off, he walked over to Izaya.

"You're early." He noted as he climbed the steps of the porch.

"Hehe, well I found out I left my keys at home this morning and I'm locked out of my apartment.." He admitted with a coy smile.

"I thought I could just hang around here for a while if that's alright with you. Just until my sisters get out of softball practice. They'll be able to let me in."

"Hmm. I guess it's alright. Come on." He called and pushed open the front door.

Izaya hopped up and skipped inside.

"Oh~ohh! You have quite a nice place here, Heiwajima-san!" He mused turning in circles to get a full view.

"It's alright." Shizuo shrugged, tossing his bag onto the floor and plopping down on the sofa.

He grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels. Izaya hummed to himself as he trailed his eyes around the room.

"Oh. This show is pretty good, this guy is psychic and he has to find.." His words trailed off as he looked over at the smirking raven and set the remote down.

"Are you just going to stand there, or are you gonna sit down?" Shizuo asked raising a brow.

Izaya smiled at this and took a seat next to the blonde. A bit too close for comfort. He reached into his bag and pulled out an orange soda, offering it to him.

"I didn't mean sit as close as possible. You're practically breathing down my neck.." He muttered as he took the drink, cracking it open and taking a few gulps.

"Ohh- Gomen! Gomen!" He chuckled and slid back on the couch, popping out the recliner to his seat.

He stayed focused on the television, though he could still see Izaya looking at him through his peripheral. He let out a frustrated sigh and faced him.

"Are you just gonna stare at me now?"

"Sorry.. I was just enjoying the view." He said taking a few sips of his root beer.

Shizuo's face flushed like mad when he heard those familiar words and he unconsciously gripped the remote until it snapped in two. Small shards of plastic fell down onto the carpet.

_"Shit!"_ He cursed and quickly stood from the couch to grab a broom.

_God dammit, pull yourself together idiot!_ He thought to himself as he pulled open the closet.

He closed the door and flinched when he saw Izaya standing there.

"Need some help?" He asked with a grin.

"N-no.. I got it.." He said, slipping past the boy and heading back to the living room.

_What the hell is up with him today? He's acting even more strange than usual.. _

Izaya walked into the room with his hands tucked behind his head. He stopped at a bookshelf and picked up a portrait of a boy. He looked about a year or two younger than Shizuo.

"Hmm. Who's this?" He asked, observing the picture.

"That's my little brother, Kasuka." Shizuo replied and crouched down to sweep the broken remote into a bag.

"Ah.. Does he live here with you?"

"Yeah, but he's usually really busy with work. And he travels a lot. So I don't really get to see him much anymore." He explained and tossed the mess into the garbage.

"So I take it you probably spend a lot of time yourself then?" Izaya said, cocking his head to the side.

He nodded. "Yeah. I don't mind it most days. It's quiet.. Peaceful. I enjoy my space."

"Ahh, that reminds me.. I want to show you something." He said, and pulled Shizuo along by his arm.

"Wait a minute-! Where are we going?" He asked in uncertainty as he was brought towards the door.

He followed Izaya down the steps and around the corner of his apartment building. They crossed the road and headed past a few more buildings before turning into an alleyway.

They stopped when they reached a large fence. Shizuo raised his brows as he watched the boy tug at a few of the planks until he found a loose one. He grabbed the wooden board and set it aside, stepping through the small opening.

"This way!" He called. Shizuo hesitantly obliged, unsure of what he could be up to. He squeezed through the tight space and looked around. They were in what looked like the remains of an old dump.

Izaya skipped along the dirt path, hopping onto the concrete pipes and balancing along a metal rail.

Shizuo walked slowly, still observing his surroundings. They were in a field filled with wrecked cars, and some chunks of metal were scattered around along with a few discarded tires.

"Is this some kind of junk yard?" Shizuo asked.

"No. It's Disneyland. What do you think?" The raven replied sarcastically. Shizuo frowned and kicked the metal bar out from under his feet, causing him to topple over along with the structure.

"So mean.." He whined and stood up to brush the dirt and debris from his pants.

"It's actually an old car lot. This place has been closed for a couple years now. No one really comes through here anymore." He explained.

"Well this seems extremely suspect. Bringing me into a deserted area like this, where you know there'd be no one else around. Are you looking to get your ass kicked, Orihara?" He said, narrowing his eyes.

"Of course not! What kind of person do you think I am!" Izaya said, clutching his chest as if he were heart broken by Shizuo's accusation.

"Just come on!" He laughed.

They passed through another gate and came upon a ramp that led to a small door. Izaya pulled it open and climbed up the long stairway; Shizuo trailing not far behind.

When they reached the end of the stairs, he saw that they were on a rooftop. Shizuo looked over the side. There was a clear view of the city from up here. The sun was just beginning to set, and streaks of orange and pink painted the sky.

Izaya walked over to the edge and sat down. He walked over and took a seat next to the raven.

"This is one of my favorite spots." He said smiling softly. "It's peaceful up here. I like to come here sometimes when I want to relax a bit and clear my head. I thought you might like it."

Shizuo was a bit taken back.

_He.. brought him to one of his favorite places._

He looked down at his feet and chewed his lip in thought.

_This was the same guy who made his blood boil just by looking at him. But he was like a completely different person when he was outside of school and away from everyone else._

Izaya seemed to know what he was thinking as he spoke. "I know, I know. I might come across as a heartless delinquent, but I'm not just the guy you hear about in the rumors at school, Shizuo."

He rubbed the back of his head. "S-sorry.. I wasn't thinking that."

"It's okay." He said, kicking out his legs.

"I've done some things in my past I'm not proud of, but I can't take them back. And I'm forced to live with the consequences every single day because of it. Guys hear about me from their girlfriends, whether I've actually done anything with them or not, and they wait for me around town to jump me."

"Sometimes I get away, sometimes I don't.." He explained, and pulled down the collar of his v-neck.

Shizuo's eyes widened as he saw a large scar running from his neck to his collar bone. He had several bruises on his ribs and what looked like a cigar burn on his chest.

He lowered his eyes and spoke in a low whisper. "I had no idea.."

Izaya looked over at him and let out a dry laugh.

"Don't go feeling sorry for me now! I've done what I've done, and now I'm dealing with it. It can get a bit hard sometimes.." He said, looking off into the distance.

"Some days, I'm so disgusted with myself that I just wish I could disappear from this place.. And maybe I could finally stop causing so much trouble for everyone." His eyes trailed off towards at the edge of the building.

Shizuo's heart ached a bit hearing that.

"But I've got my little sisters who I need to look out for, and my friends who I wouldn't trade for the world. I just think of them when things get bad, and I realise I've got too much to live for." He said, flashing him a bright smile.

His phone buzzed in his pocket just then and he stood up, stretching his arms out. "I'm really sorry to cut things short, but I've got to go pick up Mairu and Kururi from school."

He walked over to the door and gripped the handle, but he paused and turned back to Shizuo. "I don't like making enemies everywhere I go. I'm glad that I was at least able to patch up things with you.." He smiled. "Really glad."

And with that, he stepped through the door, leaving the blonde on the rooftop alone. His words still rolling around in his head.


	8. A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

_(A/N: I just want to thank my favorites/ followers and people who reviewed my story.)_

**-Lamia Mortis**

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**-devils address**

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**-freedeal**

_{You guys are awesome and I greatly appreciate your feedback! It really keeps me motivated to continue writing. So thank you so soo much!~)_

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_**Chapter Eight**_

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The air was still as Izaya passed through his neighborhood. The traffic lights at the corner blinked yellow and sounds of the city could be heard in the distance. He lifted his phone to his face and frowned as he scrolled through his inbox. There were over a dozen messages from Mika. He twisted his mouth in thought and flipped the phone shut.

He turned and looked down the end of the street. Ayana's house was a few blocks from here. He was supposed to pay her a visit tonight and _'speed up her sexual awakening'_ as Harima had called it.

She had been on his case for the last 12 hours and wouldn't let up. As much as he wanted that psychopath out of his life, backing out wasn't an option; not with her. The girl was relentless when it came to Seiji. He was sure that even if he gave Harima her money back, there was no telling what she'd do. And he wasn't going to risk expulsion or getting the police involved if she decided to rat him out.

"Ugh! Why did I ever get involved with that basket case.." He sighed and turned the corner.

When he reached Ayana's house, he pushed open the gate to the backyard and climbed up a tree to reach the balcony outside her window. He jumped down from the branch and walked over to the glass. Ayana was sitting on her bed in her pajamas. She had headphones in her ears and her nose was stuffed in a magazine as she munched on popcorn.

He tapped on the glass a few times and waved his arm out. She looked over for a second and turned back to reading before doing a double take.

"Orihara-san?" She shouted over the music blaring in her ears. Izaya frantically shook his hands and quickly placed his finger to his lips.

She pulled the ear buds from her ears and giggled in embarrassment.

"Ohhh.. Sorry! Hold on, I'll let you in. " She whispered and hopped down from her bed to slide open the glass door.

"What are you doing here so late?" She asked, folding her arms.

He stepped inside and walked past her over to her door, poking his head out and taking a look down each end of the hall to make sure the coast was clear.

He closed the door and turned back to her. "Well my sisters went to stay the night at a friend's and I left my keys inside my apartment.. I accidentally locked myself out." He said, rubbing his head.

"So you came here? Couldn't you have gone somewhere else, like to one of your guy friend's places?" She asked sceptically.

"It's a school night, and my parents and my older brother are here. You have to leave or I'll get in big trouble if someone finds out you're in here." She said taking a sip from her glass of lemonade.

"I know.. But your house was the closest. And I don't really like walking around this part of town at night." He explained.

"C'mon Aya-chan. Let me stay over just this once. Please? I promise I'll stay quiet."

She knitted her brows for a moment before shrugging her shoulders. "Mmmm.. Okay. But you're sleeping on the floor."

"And if my mom or dad come up here, I'm throwing you out the window." She called as she rolled into bed.

Izaya smiled brightly and hopped onto her bed.

"Don't be like that.. It'll be like a sleepover! You don't make your guests sleep on the floor do you?" He said pulling the covers over him and grabbing her glass of lemonade from the nightstand.

"Well this is different! You know that! Now get out of my bed!" She argued, and yanked the blankets off of him. The glass slipped out of his hands and spilled onto the floor.

"You dropped it.." He said with a pout, looking down at the mess on the white carpet.

"Oh no, that's going to stain!" She cried and hurried over to her dirty laundry basket. She pulled out a few shirts and began pressing them down into the carpet to soak up the spill.

"But you're right, Aya-chan. This _is_ different. You and I have a special relationship now, after all." He said, his crimson-brown eyes glinting playfully.

"What are you talking about?" She huffed, pulling her long tresses into a ponytail.

"You mean you don't know?" He chuckled. She paused for a moment and sat up to look at him. Izaya crawled over to her side, reaching his hand out to cup her cheek. She simply tilted her head in confusion.

"Oh, Aya-chan.. You're so cute, pretending to be pure like this. Even after the _dirty_ things we've done together.." He giggled and trailed his fingers down her jaw to her neck.

She flinched and slapped his hand away.

"N-no..! That was.." She lowered her eyes, her lower lip trembling slightly.

"Why are you bringing that up now.." She whispered.

He gazed down at her flushed face.

"Aw.. there's no need to be shy about it." He purred, running his hands down her arms. "You should really be thanking me."

She stepped back and hugged her shoulders. Tears spilled from her eyes and ran down her face. "What? Why on Earth would I do that! I haven't been able to think straight ever since you came over that night!"

"Why? Because I'm giving you something wonderful." He said softly, leaning forward onto the bed.

"W-what are you talking about? Giving me what?" She cried.

"All you need is a little more growth, and a frigid little bud like you can blossom into a beautiful, fragrant flower. And soon, you'll attract a never ending swarm of butterflies and bees." He expressed.

"I don't understand." She said, shaking her head.

He pulled her chin up to face him brushed the tears from her cheeks. "You'll shine with radiance, and exert confidence and beauty. Any boy you come across won't be able to resist you and will fall helplessly to your feet."

Her eyes shot up.

"Even Seiji?" She sniffled.

He pulled her up to her feet and gave her a warm smile. "Of course. I only want to help you, Aya-chan. You can trust me."

She nodded slowly and climbed onto the bed, sitting back against the headboard. "Well what do I have to do then?"

The raven haired boy crawled over her, leaning down so their faces were only inches apart. "I'm going to show you." He whispered, trailing his hands up and down her sides.

She looked up at him with innocent eyes as he reached under her shirt and unhooked her bra. "Are you sure this will make Seiji like me?"

"I promise. After this, he won't be able to forget about you." He said, pulling the tie from her hair and running his hand through her auburn locks.

"Okay.. " She breathed, and closed her eyes. Izaya smirked and leaned down to place a gentle kiss on her lips. He trailed his fingers down her stomach and onto the waistband of her sweat pants. He slipped his hands underneath and tugged them down around her ankles.

He broke the kiss and sat her up to roll her tank top over her head. He pulled off her red bra and pants and tossed them onto the floor. She brought her arms up in a coy gesture to cover her exposed skin.

"Just relax.." He coaxed, and softly pulled her limbs down. She laid back onto the bed, and Izaya climbed over her, pausing for a moment to gaze at her form.

But something felt.. strange. Usually at a time like this, his blood was pumping and he was able to focus with a clear mind. But as he stared down at her face he began to notice sort of an empty feeling. He tried to ignore it for the moment and continued on.

He gripped the sides of her red lace panties and slid them down her thighs. He smirked when Ayana raised her hips and he pulled the silky garment off, tossing them onto the floor.

He crawled over her with a predatory gaze, and leaned down to capture her lips in a bruising kiss. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he slipped his tongue into her mouth and she pulled him closer, tugging at the fabric of his shirt.

"Hmm.. Getting a bit excited, are we?" He chuckled and looked down at her face.

He gasped as her long auburn hair suddenly had become shorter and turned a bright shade of blonde. Her almond colored eyes were lighter and her petite feminine form was covered in lean muscle.

He backed up quickly and fell onto the bed. _  
_

"Is something wrong?" She asked, looking up at him in confusion.

He rubbed his eyes and looked back at her. "What on Earth.."

He held his head and tried to regain his composure. "It's nothing.. Sorry." He said shaking his head, and leaned down to place chaste kisses on her neck and chest.

She let out soft breaths as he nuzzled her skin. He nipped at the flesh of her breasts and flicked his tongue over her nipple, earning a small mewl from the girl.

It was as if something inside of his mind seemed to click, just then, and he sat up with a frustrated sigh.

"What's the matter?" She asked, pulling the blankets up to her chest. "You're acting really strange. Did I do something wrong?"

"No.. it's not you." He said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It's just.. I.. I don't know. I must be off today or something.."

She scooched over to his side and rubbed his shoulders. "Are you okay? Is there anything I can get for you?"

"It's fine.. I just think I should go." He said, and stood up from the bed.

"You're leaving? Wait a minute! Are you gonna be alright?" She asked as he walked over to the window and climbed out onto the balcony.

"Yeah. I think I'm just tired. Goodnight, Aya-chan. I'll see you at school." He called and hopped down. She stared on in confusion for a few moments before shrugging her shoulders and turned on the tv.

.

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.

_Dammit.._ He thought as he climbed up the steps to his front door.

_I should have had no problem finishing the job with a girl like her._ _What's going on with me tonight? _

He looked at down at the door handle and frowned. A yellow card hung from the door knob. He snatched the paper and unlocked the door to step inside. Mairu and Kururi had both passed out on the sofa in a mess of snack cake wrappers and the television was still on.

He smiled and shook his head as he scooted the path of trash aside with his feet and lifted the girls to their room. He laid them down in their bed, pulling off Mairu's glasses and setting them onto the nightstand. He leaned down and placed a kiss on the girls' foreheads before flicking off the lights.

"Goodnight." He called and closed the door.

He stepped out into the hall and leaned against the wall, digging into his pocket to read the note from the door. He narrowed his eyes as he realized what this thing was.

**IMPORTANT NOTICE**

**Dear resident(s), this notice terminates your tenancy and requires you to move from the premises on or before the date listed below unless all past due monies, unpaid rents, late fees, damage to property, and any other costs due, as listed and defined in the lease agreement, and/or comply with the terms and conditions of the lease.**

**Failure on your part to comply within the amount of (5) days, excluding legal holidays, will result in immediate removal from the property and a court order will be issued in the following time.**

**Signed, the Superintendent of Home Security.**

"Great.." He sighed, crumpling the paper into his fist and slumping onto the floor. "What am I going to do?"

He had used the money given to him by Harima to buy groceries and pay for his little sisters' softball uniforms. Job offers weren't coming up that often and he was short on cash for rent this month and the last.

He flipped open his phone and scrolled through his list of contacts. He stopped and tapped his thumb against the side of his phone when he reached a familiar name. The only person he'd ever met who actually managed to unnerve him just by hearing his voice: Shiki; a well known and feared member of an underground gang, and often asked him to do jobs as favors. He threw him some money here and there, but Izaya usually only went to him as a last resort, as he wasn't exactly fond of getting too mixed up with the Yakuza.

And something about Shiki.. just the man's entire persona sent chills down his spine. Though Shiki appeared calm and polite on the outside; his eyes held something dangerously sinister behind their gaze. Like a wolf in sheep's clothing.

But he was in desperate need of money and willing to try about anything at this point. He held his breath as he pressed call, and brought the phone up to his ear. He chewed his lip as he listened to the dial tone and debated whether or not he should just hang up the phone before his did something he was going to regret. But his thoughts were cut short as the other line picked up.

"Hello?" A husky voice mumbled on the other end.

"Hey.. Shiki. It's Izaya. Sorry to call you at this hour.. Did I wake you?"

"Mmm.. No.. I was just beginning to doze off when you called. What do you want?"

"I'm going to be straight with you.. I need some cash, and I need it fast."

Shiki chuckled and cleared his throat. "Is that so.. Usually I'm the one paying you, Orihara. Why the sudden change?"

"I found an eviction notice on my door today. I have five days to get my rent paid or me and my sisters are gonna be out of this place with no where to go.." He explained, shutting his eyes.

"Hmm.. That's no good. Let me see.." He started, and the sounds of rustling papers could be heard. "You know, I think I might be able to figure something out."

Izaya sat up and breathed a sigh of relief. "You're a lifesaver, Shiki. I owe you one."

"You certainly will. I'll call you tomorrow with the details." The gruff man chuckled. "Have a good night Orihara."

The phone clicked, and the empty buzzing of the receiver rung in his ears as he lowered the phone. He stared down at the yellow paper in his lap, and looked back over at his sisters' bedroom.

He stood to his feet and took in a deep breath as he made his way to his room, stripping off his shirt and rolling into bed. His mind was reeling as he stared up at the ceiling. A feeling of uncertainty had creeped into his body and was swelling around heavily in his chest.

And somehow, despite it all.. The last things to flash in his mind before he closed his eyes were amber eyes and bleached blonde hair.


	9. Heavy Hearts and Tormented Souls

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

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_**Chapter Nine**_

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Shizuo drummed his fingers against his desk and chewed the tip of his pen as he watched the clock above the door of the detention hall.

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

_Tick_

Only three more minutes and he would be out of this prison. The room was a bit empty today; the only occupants being Shizuo, a fourth year boy who was busy filling in the bubbles of a make up test, and the snoozing instructor.

The bell rung at last, and Shizuo let out a sigh of relief. The instructor jolted awake and wiped the trail of drool from the corner of his mouth. He placed his glasses on and looked up at the clock. "Ah..! Oh.. That was the bell. You both may go now." He croaked.

Shizuo stood from his desk and stretched his limbs before gathering up his notebook and papers into his bag. He rounded the corner and headed towards his locker to grab his jacket and school books and headed out the doors.

He sat on the wooden bench occupying himself with the Sudoku app on his phone to pass the time. His eyes lifted when a shadow casted over him.

He looked up to see a black motorcycle pulling up to the curb. It was Celty.

She tapped her fingers against her phone and held it up. [**Need another ride?]**

He eyed her suspiciously. "What are you still doing here? It's nearly 5 o'clock. And I know you don't stay after school for any kind of clubs or sports."

**[I wanted to talk to you about something.]**

"Well we can talk about it here."

She hesitated for a moment before typing out another message.

**[It's about Izaya.. I don't think you should hang out with him anymore.]**

"Where's this coming from all of a sudden? Look, I know he's a pain in the ass. And he's done a lot of awful things. But.."

She quickly stuck her phone in front of him.** [Shizuo, listen to me! Stay away from him! He's bad news!]**

He squinted at her and stood from the bench. "You don't even know him. No one around here really does. You only know one side of him; the side created by ridiculous rumors and gossip, just like everyone did to me! But did you ever stop for a moment to think that there could be more to a person than just what you hear?"

They both turned as the city bus stopped on the corner.

"You should get your facts straight before you come lecturing me on who I should and shouldn't associate with. Orihara's not a bad guy, and I can look out for myself." He told her sternly and climbed onto the bus. The metal doors closed with a swish, leaving her alone.

She held her hand to her mouth as she watched the vehicle disappear into the distance.

_Izaya's completely brainwashed him.. This is bad.. This is really bad._

_._

_._

_._

The bus came to a screeching stop when it reached Shizuo's block and he thanked the bus driver before climbing off. As he walked up the stairs to his building, he thought about what Izaya might be up to.

_And Celty.. What exactly was she trying to warn me about?_

Shizuo let out a deep sigh as he pushed open the door to his apartment and threw down his school bag. He yawned as he walked towards his room. Today had been a particularly long one and he was in need of a nap.

He pulled off his shoes and climbed into bed, shutting his eyes and quickly drifting off into a deep sleep.

...

_Clink_

_Clink_

Shizuo slowly opened his eyes for a moment before they fell back shut.

_Clink_

_Clink_

His eyes fluttered open again and he lifted his head. What was that? He pushed the blankets off and stepped onto the floor, listening carefully. Was somebody in his apartment?

He balled his fists and quickly ran into the living room, ready to send the intruder flying off the balcony. He stopped in his tracks when he looked over into the kitchen.

"..Kasuka?" He gasped.

The younger Heiwajima boy stood in the kitchen at the sink. He turned around and pulled his hands from the soapy water and reached over to grab a towel.

"Oh, you're awake. I figured you'd still be out for a while so I thought I'd tidy up a bit. You had this place looking like a frat house. Don't you ever clean?"

He folded his arms. "I'm not here that often so I haven't actually had time to do all that stuff. I don't use the dishes since I usually just grab take out on my way home or I eat at school."

Kasuka's eyes widened a bit. "You actually started going places on your own while I was gone? Shizuo, I'm so proud of you. You're finally getting over your sociopathic phase."

Shizuo rolled his eyes and plopped down onto the sofa. "Whatever. So what are you doing back so early? I thought your flight wasn't scheduled until Thursday."

"It arrived quicker than I had expected, so I've got some time off. And what better to do than spend it with my big brother?" He said with a forced a smile.

"Yeah. I doubt that." He snorted, kicking his legs up onto the table.

Kasuka whipped the towel at him and put his hands on his hips. "Don't put your feet on the table. I just wiped it."

"Sorry mom." He muttered and dragged his feet down over the sides to the floor. Kasuka blushed when he realised he was still wearing their mother's cleaning apron. He quickly pulled it off and tossed it on the counter.

"I have to start filming in a few days, and I'll be staying in a hotel. So you can go back to living like a barnyard animal _after_ I'm gone. But for now, I'd like you to treat our home with some respect. This place was disgusting when I got here.."

He opened the fridge, pulling out a Snack Pack and reaching into the drawer for a spoon.

Shizuo glared over at him. "Wait a second.. Is that my last pudding cup?"

Kasuka pulled out a chair and looked up at him. "I don't know. I didn't look. It was sitting in the fridge, and I grabbed it."

He stood from the couch and scowled. "Well then put it back."

Kasuka rolled his eyes and peeled back the lid. "Look, I just spent the last four hours cleaning up after you. Don't get on my case over a cup of pudding, Shizuo."

"So what! Find something else to eat!" He snapped.

Kasuka dug the spoon into the dessert, trying to hide the smirk on his lips.

"I said drop it, Kasuka!"

He lifted the spoon to his mouth with a grin.

_"You better not!"_

Shizuo felt a vein twitch in his forehead as he watched his younger brother take that first bite.

The blonde gritted his teeth and grabbed the coffee table, hurling it over in his direction, just barely missing his head and smashing through the window above the sink. They both watched in awe as the furniture sailed through the air and crashed onto a parked car on the street below, denting the roof and cracking the front windshield.

They turned to each other in stunned silence as the car's alarm blared.

"Hey! Isn't that your car?" Shouted a man's voice.

"Gah-!" Another man screamed and began cursing loudly as he looked up at the building. "Whoever did that is gonna pay for this, you hear me?! HEY! "

The two boys bursted into laughter and quickly pulled the curtains closed. They crouched down onto the floor and Kasuka placed his hand on his brother's shoulder. "Man, I guess things never really change with our family." He panted, wiping his eyes.

Shizuo snickered. "It's been nearly a decade and we're still fighting over the same old things. You just never learn, do you? Stop touching my dairy products or you're gonna end up in a full body cast." He said, punching him in the shoulder.

"Ouch..! Okay I give! I give!" He chuckled and rubbed his arm. He stood from the floor and dusted off his pants. "Well it's only nine thirty. I've got the next two days off, what do you feel like doing tonight?"

Shizuo stood up and looked over into the living room and at the small shards of glass that covered the counter. "Maybe we should look for a new coffee table and get our window fixed.."

The two laughed again and Kakusa grabbed his jacket from the coat rack and pulled out his keys. Well go get your shoes on, we need to hurry before everything closes."

...

Kasuka hummed to himself as he looked along the vast display of sheet glass hanging above. The aisle seemed to go on for miles in both directions.

"Hmm.. Shizuo, how do you feel about awnings?" He called over his shoulder.

The blonde sat in a red arm chair tossing and catching a nickel he'd found on the ground. It felt like they'd been in this store for hours, and he was bored out of his mind. He leaned back in the chair and stared up at the flourescent lights. "I don't know. You've looked at a million of those things already. Why didn't you just get the last one?"

Kasuka tapped his fingers against his chin "No no no.. See, I don't want to choose paneling that might clash with the-"

"It's a window! Just pick one and let's go!" He growled.

"Okay, okay. Settle down! I don't need you getting riled up in here." He scolded, and called over a worker for some help.

"Hello. What can I do for you?" Smiled a familiar face.

"..Orihara? What are you doing here?" Shizuo said, jumping up from his seat.

"I work here. My first day on the job." He explained, pointing to his name tag.

Shizuo scratched his head. "Why'd you apply at a hardware store? It doesn't really seem to suit you -no offence."

"It's a job. As long as it pays I guess I can't complain." He shrugged. "An old acquaintance of mine pulled some strings and got me in here the same day."

Kasuka looked on in annoyance as the two teens chatted before Shizuo turned to him. "Hey, Kasuka. This is one of my friends from school."

"It's nice to finally meet you." The raven grinned, holding out his hand. "I'm Orihara Izaya."

The stoic boy kept his hands stuffed in his pockets and cleared his throat. "I see. Well if you're done with your little conversation, I'd like some assistance if that's not too much trouble." He said, pointing up to the windows.

Izaya's brows raised for a second, but his smile never faded."Of course. My apologies. I'll get that for you."

He pulled out a step ladder and grabbed the sheet of glass from the hanger. "Is this the one?"

Kasuka nodded and strode off towards the checkout while Izaya took the glass to the back room to get it boxed up.

Shizuo narrowed his eyes as he walked behind his younger brother. "What the hell was that about? I introduce you to one of my new friends and you act like that? Thanks a lot, Kasuka! He's probably never going to come over again!"

Kasuka laughed dryly and looked over at him. "I don't know what you're talking about. I just asked the guy to do his job."

"Well you could have done it without making a complete ass out of yourself!" He shot back.

Kasuka leaned against the counter and combed a few stray hairs out of his eyes. "I hardly need to waste my time trying to appeal to the likes of him."

Shizuo looked taken back for a second. "Are you serious? Have you become that absorbed in your idol career that you think you can treat normal people like dirt?"

"That's not what I meant, Shizuo. And you know that. I'm saying that I can tell when a person is genuine or not, and that guy had the word _conniving_ plastered on his forehead."

"What-! You too? God, what is wrong with everyone! This judgemental bullshit is exactly the reason why I earned the reputation I did, and those kids started calling me the 'Bleach Blonde Beast' at school!" He shouted.

"Well it's not my fault you can't keep yourself under control! I mean seriously! You wouldn't even attended the anger management classes I set up for you! Do you have any idea how much that cost my assistant?"

Shizuo lowered his eyes and clenched his fists. "You know what.. just go to your stupid hotel room tonight. I don't care if you're back in Ikebukuro. All you've done is piss me off." He spat and shoved past Kasuka, bumping his shoulder.

"Where are you going?"

"Away from you!" He called back.

"Tch! Fine.. Go ahead! Walk out on me like you always do! You never let anyone help you!" Kasuka shouted.

Shizuo held up his middle finger as he stormed through the automatic doors and disappeared around the corner.

He walked over to the back of the building and leaned against the dumpster. He was still fuming and needed to let out his aggression. Before he knew it, his fist was slamming into the metal bin, crushing the side and contorting the container into an odd shape; like a crumpled ball of paper.

He took in a few deep breaths and sat down on the ground.

"You know my manager is going to flip when he sees this, right?"

Shizuo lifted his eyes. Izaya stood over him, holding a large box. The blonde hung his head. "I'm sorry.."

"So what made you go all Mike Tyson on the dumpster? Did it say something cheeky to you?" He giggled, earning a sharp glare from the blonde. He held up his hands and apologized.

"It's just my brother.. He's always trying to tell me what to do. I can make my own decisions without him butting in all the time." He sighed.

Izaya tilted his head. "Well you two shouldn't be fighting. He's just looking out for you."

"I don't need anyone going out of their way to try and protect me. Like I'm too stupid or too weak to fend for myself. It's irritating.." He said, kicking a pebble with his feet.

"You should feel pretty lucky you have people like that in your life. Not everyone has friends and family who care about them like you do.."

"I don't feel lucky. I just wish there was one person who understood what I was going through.." He muttered, bringing his knees up to his chest.

Izaya frowned."Listen.. My shift ends in five minutes. My boss wouldn't care if I punched out early. What do you say we go for a walk somewhere? You know, just to put your mind at ease for a bit."

He thought it over for a moment and slowly stood up and dusted off his jeans. "Okay."

"Let me just go run this inside and I'll meet you back out here."

Shizuo nodded and watched the boy step through a small side door, returning just moments later.

"Okay, come on. Let's go!" He cheered, and snatched the blonde's arm, pulling him through the streets. The pair ran through the far end of the city, and made their way up to the park.

They passed through the gate and walked along the path. The night air was cool and crickets chirped in the distance. Izaya hummed as he hopped along the bricks lining the pond.

Shizuo couldn't help himself as he nudged the raven with his elbow, knocking him over into the water. Shizuo clutched his stomach as he hunched over in laughter.

Izaya squinted his eyes and quickly grabbed his arms, pulling him in with a large splash. He scowled at him and shivered like a wet cat. "Orihara you bastard!"

"That's payback~" He chimed.

Shizuo looked up at his smiling face and his nerves seemed to settle in moments. It was strange.. His bad moods could do a complete 360 when he was around.

The two hopped out of the water and tried their best to dry themselves off; Laughing and chatting as they walked over to the playground.

Shizuo hopped onto the plastic twin slide. Izaya took a seat on the other side and kicked out his legs. "Ahh.. Well that was fun. Stupid. But fun." He said, rubbing his hands together.

Shizuo sat up and faced him. "Are you cold? You can take this if you want. I'm almost always overheating." He explained, passing his jacket to Izaya.

"Thanks." He smiled and threw the hoodie over his shoulders. Shizuo quickly looked down at the ground. "Y-yeah.. No problem."

"Hey, Shizuo. Let's play truth or dare."

The blonde flinched for a moment. "Are you serious?"

His eyes flashed with excitement as he spoke. "Yeah! Doesn't it sound fun?"

Shizuo folded his arms and pondered it for a moment. "Eh, what the hell. Sure."

Izaya sat up indian style and smiled. "Yes! Alright! Should I start, or would you like to?"

"I doesn't matter to me. You can start."

"Okay then.. Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"Aw.. you're no fun! Everyone knows dare is the most exciting!" He whined. "Well let's see then.. hmm.. tell me about something you've never had the guts to share with anyone."

Shizuo snorted and leaned back onto the slide. "Tch! Why would I do that? I'm not telling you shit."

"You picked truth! You have to! That's the rules!" He said matter-of-factly.

"Ugh.. You're such a kid." He breathed. "Uh, well.. Sometimes.. when I get bored.. I like to write." He said nervously.

Izaya perked up at this. "You like to write? About what? Be more specific."

His face began to turn red as the raven boy pressed him to spill the details. He sighed and dug into his pocket, pulling out a folded slip of paper and tossing it into his lap.

"Hm. What's this?" He chimed as he unfolded the small note. It was a poem.

**_How does it feel? ..to be in love._**

**_These emotions carried in our hearts.. I want to find them._**

**_It's hazy and clouded inside. But __I search for them endlessly_**

**_It's as if they're hanging right above my head; __just far enough out of my reach to where they cannot be caught_**

**_The higher I climb, the farther I fall into a blurry state of confusion and anguish_**

**_ If I could ever grasp onto these feelings.. __I would send each one to you in soft whispers, so you could hear them_**

**_I'd place them on your lips, so you could feel them_**

**_I'd pull my heart from my chest, so you could see them_**

**_I don't know how.. or when.. but I know I'll get there_**

**_I'd walk the ends of this Earth a thousand times until I found them_**

**_ And I would give them all to you_**

Izaya put a hand over his chest and made a dramatic sigh. "Oh, Shizuo.. That was touching. I think I might shed a tear."

The blonde narrowed his eyes. "You're an asshole. I'm done with this stupid game."

He huffed and rolled over, turning his back to Izaya.

"Aw.. Come on! I was only joking. Don't be so sensitive!" He giggled.

Izaya peered at his face. His gaze seemed to be elsewhere, as if he were deep in thought.

"Shizuo? Hellooo?" He called and tossed a few wood chips at his head. The blonde gave no response and merely stared past him.

"Look, I'm sorry." He started. "I didn't mean to offend you. It wasn't bad. It was kinda nice, actually. Really nice."

Shizuo's expression hardened a bit. "I was just thinking.. You and I are sort of the targets of all the gossip running through school. What would they all think if they heard someone saw us here? They'd go nuts with that."

"Why would it matter? Don't you like hanging out together?" Izaya said, tilting his head.

"I do.. But.. I don't know. I'm just sick of everyone and their stupid opinions. You stand out even just a little and you're labeled as a freak or an outcast. You hear all the time, _'just be who you are!' 'stay true to yourself!' _"

"And then they judge you.." He said, shutting his eyes.

Izaya leaned down onto his elbow. "Why do you care what they think? You shouldn't let those stupid kids at school make you feel like you need to change anything about yourself."

"It's far too late to change anyone's perspective of me here even if I wanted to. Everyone in this city knows my name. People take one look at me and run. They pick fights with me on the street or they gang up on me at school. All I want is to be left alone.."

Izaya lowered his eyes. "You know.. I've gotten to see what kind of person you really are in these past few days. The person those kids at school are too shallow to give a chance. You've got your issues, just like I do. But that doesn't make you a bad person. Everyone breaks stuff, gets in trouble, says embarrassing things, and tells their share of lies. We're human. We all have flaws." He said with a small smile.

"It's not about changing yourself. It's just a matter of deciding who you want to let see the _real_ you; Someone out there you'd do anything for to show them how great you can be."

Shizuo kept his eyes closed and he spoke softly. "Is there anyone out there who you're thinking of?"

Izaya looked down at the grass, clutching the jacket around him tightly. "Maybe. But a tormented soul like me could only bring others suffering. It's better that I just stay by myself."

Shizuo's eyes opened as the bundle of cloth was laid down next to him.

He looked up at Izaya as he stood over him. Their gazes locked and he felt a stinging in his chest as he watched the boy turn and disappear into the trees. Leaving him alone, once again.

Izaya ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He kept running and running until he felt like he'd collapse. He stumbled onto the sidewalk and leaned against the side of a building.

He sighed and slumped down onto the ground. He began to feel that familiar ache swelling up in his chest again; far heavier than before. A dozen things flashed through his mind. The student council president, the deal with Harima, what he'd done to Ayana, the bet with Shinra, and the days he'd spent with Shizuo.

Everything in his life had been going exactly the way he had planned. He had the entire school in the palm of his hand. His reputation was reaching its peak. And Shizuo Heiwajima should have been his biggest and greatest conquest.

_Then why? Why couldn't he just do what he'd planned to do from the start and move on?_

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the folded paper. His eyes traced over the words Shizuo had written down.

**_How does it feel? ..to be in love._**

**_These emotions carried in our hearts.. I want to find them._**

He clutched the note his chest and squeezed his eyes shut.

"This feeling.." He whispered. "What the hell is going on?"


	10. 17 Going on 71

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

(A/N: I had originally planned to write this chapter earlier on the actual day of Izaya's birthday: May 4th. Which was Sunday. But I decided against it, as it didn't really fit into the plot at the time. Happy Belated Birthday Izaya, you little shit.)

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_**Chapter Ten**_

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The sunlight was shining strongly over Ikebukuro. Birds chirped outside and children had gathered around the ice cream truck, shouting and shoving into one another to make their demands heard by the driver.

It was a calm afternoon for Izaya as he sat in his apartment. Aside from the noise on the other side of the window, the only sounds were the furious clicking of the keys on his laptop as he typed at his computer. His cup of tea had long lost its steam, sitting cold and untouched at the corner of his desk.

The door opened suddenly, startling him from his peaceful trance. He cursed, and whipped around to see who had the nerve to intrude on him during his private moments.

Casually strolling into the doorway, was none other than the Yandere Queen in the flesh; Harima Mika.

"What the hell-! Harima? How did you get in here? That door was locked!" He shouted in confusion.

"I know. I needed to talk to you, so I picked the lock." She explained, holding up the strange device in her hand.

Izaya rubbed his temples. "I swear, your stalking tendencies are getting worse. You're going to end up in the psycho ward pretty soon."

"Eat me, Izaya." She spat as she placed her equipment into her bag.

"It's alright for you to follow Heiwajima around school, break into his house while he's showering, trick him into giving you his phone number, 'conveniently' show up at all the places he goes to -and I'm being called a stalker? You shouldn't be throwing stones when you live in a glass house, Orihara."

"Maybe the fact that you knew all that makes you the stalking champion." He snorted and turned back to his computer.

"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer." She smiled. "But keep your dirty business partners under your radar at all times."

"Well what did you come here to babble about this time? You already exploded my text messages." He called over his shoulder.

Harima strode over to the couch and took a seat. She pulled apart the ring on her finger and pressed it to her nose, inhaling the contents inside.

Izaya took a mental note of this as he watched her through his peripheral.

She sniffled and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. She shook her head and blinked a few times before speaking again. "I want details Orihara."

He swiveled his computer chair around to face her and wrinkled his brow. "About what?"

"Don't play stupid with me. You know exactly what I'm talking about." She snapped. "Did you fuck the little princess yet?"

Izaya rolled his eyes and leaned back into his seat._ "I told you, I'm working on it! _You can't exactly rush these kinds of things."

Harima's expression turned vicious as she stood from the couch. "Well you're moving too slow! The longer you take to complete your task, the longer I have to compete with her for Seiji's attention! I only get to see him when he's done with drama club after school. And did you hear? They've been cast together as Romeo and Juliet in the school play!"

She let out a hysteric laugh.

"And that means that little slut gets to steal even more of his affection! They're going to have to practice that kiss scene. And she's going to be getting closer and closer to winning him over.. _and I'm NOT GOING TO LET THAT HAPPEN!" _She shouted, her knuckles turning white as she clenched her fists.

_"I WILL RIP OUT HER JUGULAR WITH MY TEETH ON THAT STAGE IN FRONT OF EVERYONE IF SHE SO MUCH AS TOUCHES HIM!_"

Izaya could have sworn he watched her head go all the way around as she screamed at him. He knew Harima was whacked.. But this.. This girl was completely insane.

He held up his hands and rolled his chair back a few feet. "Okay, okay.. Just settle down, Medusa. I'll figure something out."

She glared at him and took in a deep breath.

"What is that you're doing anyway? You making an essay for school or something?" She asked, peering over to the screen.

"It's my online journal. I write down everything I do, feel, think, dream.. It's private though." He explained.

"Hn. A journal. Really. Could you be anymore queer?" She snickered.

"Could you be anymore desperate to read it?" He shot back. "That USB drive you swiped from my table is empty, you know. It's just a spare."

Harima frowned as she realised she'd been caught. She pulled the small device from her bra and tossed it onto the couch. "Well whatever. I still have other ways of taking you down if you don't finish your job."

"For the last time, I'll get it done Harmia!"

She folded her arms. "Well you better do it fast. I'm getting really sick of your dawdling with Heiwajima. Seriously, just screw the kid already and move on!"

Izaya's eyes glazed over and he froze.

"Aw.. Let me guess, are you having trouble getting him?" She giggled.

"Or is it _him_ who's getting to you?"

He couldn't stop the blush that rose to his face.

Harima smiled a malicious grin. "Are you serious? Hahaha! I never thought I'd see the day that _you _actually developed feelings for someone!"

He turned his head as she laughed and laughed.

"Look Orihara.. you might be good for sex. But no one would ever waste their time on a relationship with someone like you! You're narcissistic, manipulative, sociopathic _scum_. And what about the bet, huh? He's bound to find out sooner or later. And then what will you do?"

Izaya said nothing in reply.

She laughed again. "Like I was saying. Just give up while you're at it. Focus on the job at hand and don't piss me off."

Izaya let out a deep sigh when the door slammed shut. He tapped his foot and tried to think of what to do. He was sick of that lunatic! After visiting Ayana the other night, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to go through with her plan.

Not to mention, he didn't really even _want_ to at this point.

Ayana was a bright, bubbly girl with a kind heart. Sure she was a bit naive and curious when it came boys. It was only natural at her age. But that didn't mean she deserved to be known as the biggest slut in Ikebukuro. Harima Mika was twisted and foul.. Ayana deserved Seiji far more than that psychopath.

He stood from the computer and walked into the kitchen. He'd been home for a while, and his stomach wouldn't let him concentrate. He pulled open the fridge and rummaged through the cabinets, but he was unable to find and traces of soluble food.

Letting out a disappointed sigh, he closed the freezer. His attention turned to the calendar hung with a plastic strawberry shaped magnet. Today's date had been circled.

May 4th.

He shut his eyes. Mairu and Kururi had done this on purpose. Why were they so persistent on trying to make this day into a big deal? It was his birthday. So what! If anything, today was just a reminder that he was another year closer to death.. He shuddered at the unpleasant thought and snatched the calendar from the fridge, tossing it into the garbage.

He took a seat at his computer again, folding his hands and propping his chin up with his thumbs.

_Hmm.. I wonder what Shizu-chan is up to right now?_

He pulled up a few pages and entered some information. He clicked the mouse, scrolled through a few more pages and discovered his location in mere minutes. "He's there again, huh.." He whispered before pulling out the USB drive and dropping it into a drawer, which he promptly locked, tucking away the key into his fur jacket.

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Shizuo poked at his food as he sulked at a lonely table in the back of the sushi shop.

He'd gotten into it with Kasuka when he came home last night, and he wasn't in the mood to hear about it again after school. Even having mediocre seafood at a place like Russia Sushi by himself still beat sitting back there and listening to more of Kasuka's lectures.

The bell at the top of the door jingled, and that familiar scent filled his nostrils turning his attention to the doorway.

"Izaya.." He growled.

The raven hopped through the shop up to the sushi bar to greet Dennis and ordered his usual tray of Otoro.

He turned around in his stool to face Shizuo giving him a bright smile.

"Bonwaaa~!" He called, and waved his hand.

Shizuo narrowed his eyes. He was still pissed about being left alone in the park.

"Hmm. Not talking today are we?" He asked approaching the table.

Shizuo turned his head.

"Ohh! So it's like that, then. You're upset with me?" He queried and plopped down across from the angry blonde.

"But it's my birthday!" He pouted. "And nobody remembered.."

"Really?" He asked lifting his eyes.

"Mmm. Maybe. Either way I got you to talk to me." He giggled.

Shizuo's eyes dropped. He wanted to kick himself for caving so easily.

"Well I want to give you something anyway." Shizuo said with a smile.

Izaya raised a brow.

Shizuo stood from the table and smashed the plate of rice into his face. "Lunch is on me. Happy birthday, asshole. "

Izaya laughed as he wiped the sticky clumps of food from his cheeks and hair. "Okay I guess I deserved that one. I'm sorry about last night, alright?"

Shizuo smirked. "I'm feeling better about it already. But seriously. Is it actually your birthday or not?"

Izaya finished cleaning himself off the best he could, and gave him a small nod. "But it's just another day. I don't really care about it."

Shizuo looked shocked.

"You're kidding..! You can't seriously think that! Birthdays are the one day a year where you get presents from people for no reason! Well I guess you get those on Christmas too.. but there's cake and ice cream and balloons and stuff. I still go up to visit my family each year and we celebrate it together!" He expressed.

Izaya inwardly chuckled at how cute Shizu-chan was being. He really seemed enthusiastic about these things.

"Well I'm not religious. And maybe those kind of things happen for other people, but not at my house. It's just my sisters and I. We're barely getting by with bills and such. Wasting money on myself for birthday presents and cake and whatever would just be tedious and selfish."

The blonde folded his arms. "Well that's no good. You're only 17 years old and you've taken on the responsibilities of a middle aged man. You should at least be able to enjoy one day out of the year for yourself!"

Izaya shook his head. "It doesn't matter, Shizuo. No one's going to bat an eye over what day it is. I'll probably spend the rest of the day alone in my gloomy apartment like I do every year."

Shizuo frowned and lowered his hands. His face quickly lit up again and he stood from the table.

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere, okay?" He called and ran out of the shop.

Izaya stared out the window, watching as the blonde disappeared around the corner. A loud rumbling sounded out. Grey clouds slowly rolled in and small drops of water began to pelt against the glass. He sighed and leaned his head onto the table.

Shizuo returned about 15 minutes later with several bags hanging from his arms. He was drenched from head to toe from the heavy rain outside.

"Hey! I'm back. We should get out of here though before the weather gets worse. Can we head to your place?"

The raven boy stood up from the table. "You're not going to give this a rest, are you?"

"No way." Shizuo said sternly. "I'm not gonna leave you hanging like that."

"Alright. Let's get this over with." He sighed and led him out the door. Simon kindly passed them his umbrella as they walked by, explaining how he loved the feeling of Spring showers since it didn't rain much in his homeland. Shizuo awkwardly thanked him and they hurried to find shelter from the rain.

When they reached his front door Izaya paused before opening it.

"My place isn't exactly the best apartment in town.. Definitely nowhere nearly as nice as yours. But it's all I've got for now so.. Yeah."

He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Shizuo followed behind, observing his surroundings.

"Iza-nii!" Came a pair of chipper voices.

"Uff!" He wheezed as he was suddenly glomped by his twin sisters.

"Look what we made for you! Look look!" Mairu beamed, holding up a handmade birthday card. It was still sticky from the wet glue and covered in glitter.

"Heh. Thanks.." He smiled and set it aside, wiping his hands onto his jeans.

"You hate it!" Mairu whined. "You're turning into a grumpy old man!"

"Are you gonna start getting grey hair soon?" Kururi questioned.

"We should have got you dentures instead!" The other twin scoffed.

"I don't hate it! And I turned 17, not 71! Now get off me already!" He huffed.

The girls climbed off of him and turned to the strange boy standing in their home.

"We've never seen you before! Who are you?" Mairu said, circling him.

"Ah, well.. I'm Shizuo Heiwajima. I go to school with Izaya." He explained.

Kururi popped out from behind him, causing the blonde to flinch.

"You're sooo talll.." She gasped, looking up with him with large eyes. "And your hair! Wooow! Were you born with that color?"

Izaya watched as his sisters bombarded Shizuo with their goofy questions. He smiled politely and answered every one, causing the girls to giggle.

Kururi reached into one of the bags Shizuo was carrying and pulled out a small box of assorted cupcakes. "Wahh-! Iza-nii look what he got!"

The two girls squealed and bounced in circles. "Cup-cakes~! Cup-cakes~! Cup-cakes~!"

Shizuo laughed and opened the tray. "You two can have some. I got a bunch of them."

The girls each grabbed a cupcake and thanked him with a bright smile.

"Iza-nii, your new friend is really nice! Why didn't you ever invite him over before? It's not like you do anything else when you're here. All you do is sit at your computer all day long!" Mairu scolded as he peeled the paper from her cupcake.

Izaya scoffed and snatched the pastry from her hand, shoving the whole thing into his mouth.

"Ish nun uf yer bishnessh." He muffled between chews.

"Hey!" She cried and stamped her foot. "That was mine! You don't even like sweets baka!"

He swallowed and let out a satisfied breath as fell back onto the floor, folding his arms behind his head.

"Well it's my birthday,_ baka_. Deal with it."

Shizuo calmed the frustrated girl down by handing her another box of cupcakes which were twice the size of the others.

"Here, you guys can take these ones. Don't mind him. He just wants to bask in his full birthday-glory today."

Mairu blushed and the two girls thanked him. "C'mon Kururi, let's go upstairs. Ojamajo Doremi is coming on in five minutes!"

Shizuo smiled as the pair bounced up the staircase and disappeared into their room.

Izaya sat up and pointed to the other bag Shizuo hadn't opened.

"What's in there? More cupcakes? You're going to make my little sisters diabetic with all of that crap."

Shizuo grunted and tossed the bag into his lap. "See for yourself."

The raven eyed him for a moment before reaching into the bag. His mouth dropped slightly when he pulled out a small box wrapped in shimmering red paper and topped with a matching bow.

His eyes lifted up over to Shizuo.

"You didn't have to.."

"I know I didn't have to. I just did it cause I felt like it. So shut up and open it already, damn it!" He said taking a seat on the floor beside him.

Izaya let out a dry laugh and peeled back the paper, tossing it onto the floor. He pulled off the lid to the small box and his hands froze.

At the bottom of the box was a pair of silver rings. He picked up the small objects and held them up to his face.

He clutched the small jewelry in his hand and gave him a soft smile.

"Thanks."

"It's no problem." He replied, and reached behind his back to pull out a cupcake. He pulled a lighter from his pocket and lit the single candle poking up from the center.

Shizuo held it up in front of him.

"I know you don't like sweets, but you can still blow out the candle and make a wish."

Izaya's eyes followed the soft glow of the flame as it swayed back and forth. A large grin spread across his features. He closed his eyes for a moment before swiftly blowing out the candle.

He giggled and stared up at him with bright eyes.

"Thank you.. No one's ever remembered my birthday. I haven't felt this happy in a long time.."

Shizuo felt his face growing hot as he stared at him with that childish expression.

**_BEEP BEEP BEEP!_**

The sudden interruption caused both boys to jump back. Shizuo quickly dug into his pocket, pulling out his cell phone. He scowled as he looked at the phone and slammed it shut.

"Ugh.. It's Kasuka.. he's been on my case since yesterday for running out on him. I gotta head home before he decides to lock me out and call our parents for staying out past curfew on a school night. And my dad is pretty scary when he wants to be.."

Izaya snickered. "Well I guess you better go then."

"Yeah." He stood and walked over to the door.

"I'll see you at school tomorrow." He called, and pulled the door open.

"Bye bye!~" Izaya chimed as he watched the blonde disappear, shutting the door behind him.

He looked down at the discarded wrapping paper and the gift box. He grabbed the rings and rolled them between his fingers. He placed one on each hand and smiled.

_My first gift. It had been from Shizu chan._

The eerily familiar feeling of loneliness slowly began to creep up on him as he sat alone in the quiet room.

He flinched as he felt something wet drip down onto his arm. He slowly lifted his hand to his face to touch his cheek.

He gasped.

_What is this..? Why am I.. _

He stopped his thoughts and lowered his eyes.

_I see now. It's because Shizu-chan's gone. And I'm here by myself, once again._

_ Shizu-chan's gone._

_I don't.._

_..Want to be alone anymore._

Before his mind could even process what he was doing, his legs were moving and he was flying out the door. The tears rushed down his face as his foot steps pounded onto the sidewalk, water splashing up with each step.

He couldn't make sense of it. He had never felt close to anyone his entire life, yet his only genuine feeling of happiness was always ripped away from him the second Shizuo left his side. Was this what attachment was?

Shizuo clutched the large umbrella as he headed down the path towards the street.

"I guess I should just stay in my room when I get back. I had a pretty good day, and I'm not in the mood to have it ruined with Kasuka's shit." He muttered.

_"Shizuo!"_

He stopped when he thought he heard a voice calling after him.

_"Shizuo, wait!"_

"Izaya?" He said in confusion and moved to turn around. The blonde was caught completely by surprise as he was suddenly embraced.

The umbrella slipped from his fingers and rolled onto the ground. He could feel Izaya's body trembling slightly as the boy held onto him.

"Izaya, what are you-? He started to question

"Don't go." The raven whispered.

Shizuo looked down at his face and felt his heart ache at the pained expression he wore. He'd never. Ever. Seen Izaya like this.

"Please. Don't leave me." He sniffled and leaned against his chest.

Shizuo slowly wrapped his arms around the boy, and held him close.

"I'm not going anywhere." He said softly, rubbing his back in a comforting gesture.

Rain poured down from the grey sky onto the pair below, soaking their hair and clothes. This was not the cliche moment to kiss. This was not even the moment to speak. Neither said a word as they held their tight embrace.


	11. Curious

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Durarara! or any of the Characters. All rights go the the original authors and creators.

(A/N: After nearly 2 years on hiatus, I've finally gotten back to writing this fic. I want to thank all of you who faved/followed this story even though it hadn't been updated in so long.. Here's a new chapter. I hope you all enjoy~)

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_**Chapter Eleven**_

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"Hey.. We shouldn't stay out in the rain like this. C'mon."

Izaya looked through his hazy teared vision. Shizuo was beckoning for him to follow.

With a nod and a few quick wipes with his sleeves, he made his way behind him through the dark city streets.

Looking at Shizuo from under the shelter of the small umbrella, he saw the boy was drenched from head to toe. He found himself feeling like a burden.

"You should take this back. It's yours not mine."

Shizuo simply walked on. "I'm fine."

Izaya sighed in annoyance. "Where are we going anyway?"

"You'll see when we get there." The blonde replied.

They rounded a few more corners and made their way up the stairs of what looked to be a hotel. A very _expensive_ hotel resort known to host celebrities. The flashing lights on the sign illuminated the puddles on the ground with sparkles of gold and red.

Izaya watched hesitantly as Shizuo entered the building and nonchalantly passed the clerk at the front desk.

Several of the hotel staff were busy chatting away with one another and didn't even seem to notice the pair of rain soaked boys walking inside.

"What are you doing? This way." Shizuo called from the elevator.

Izaya snapped back to attention and quickly caught up with him before the doors had closed.

Shizuo reached above the shorter boy's head and pushed the button to go up.

The ride to the top floor was quiet. But not particularly awkward. Silence was fairly normal between the two. Izaya noticed they had to have passed nearly six or seven floors. How high up were they headed?

The elevator bell chimed and the doors pushed apart. The boys stepped out into the hall and walked to the room at the end of floor.

Shizuo reached into his pocket and inserted a small card into the door. Izaya nervously anticipated what could be inside.

A room more lavish than anything he'd ever seen was revealed before him. He was standing in a suite he had only seen in movies and magazines.

A large crystal chandelier hung above an enormous canopy bed. Every piece of furniture looked insanely expensive right down the the animal skin rug he was standing on. He looked down at his mud covered shoes and quickly took them off.

Shizuo, uncaring, left mud covered tracks from the door to the fridge. He grabbed a few bottles from the side door and walked towards the pool table near the window.

Izaya really seemed to notice how high up they were looking at the view of the city in the distance through the glass. Shizuo's reflection appeared behind him and he turned to see him holding a glass in each hand. He took one and gave it a sniff. It smelled like whiskey.

"How did you manage to get into a room like this?" Izaya asked suddenly.

"It's where my brother is supposed to be staying during his filming. I swiped the key card from his wallet while he was away. You ever played pool before?" Shizuo asked taking a drink from his glass.

Izaya sipped the strong liquid, feeling the familiar burn in his chest he had felt so many times before on nights like these.

"I've played once or twice before."

Shizuo smiled and handed him a pool cue. "Alright. Let's get a game started up then."

Izaya watched closely as Shizuo rubbed the small block of blue chalk on the end of his pool stick.

With all sorts of perverse thoughts now running though his mind, he took one last swig of whiskey and placed it on the window pane.

"Say.. why don't we make this game a bit more interesting?"

Shizuo finished working on his cue and blew the excess chalk dust off the tip.

"Interesting?" He echoed, his mind more concentrated at the moment on setting up the sixteen balls in the center.

Izaya picked up the white cue ball and twirled in in his hand. "That's right."

Shizuo paused, raising a brow at the raven. "If you wanna throw in some money on this, I'm all for it."

"Mm.. Not exactly." He replied, a smirk spreading on his face.

"Then what do you mean?" The blonde asked impatiently.

"Why don't we make it like strip poker?" Izaya asked bluntly.

Shizuo turned bright red. "Wha-!? A-are you serious?"

Izaya unzipped his wet jacket and dropped it to the floor. "We have to get out of these wet clothes eventually. Why not have some fun with it?"

"I mean, we're both guys. Nothing the other hasn't seem himself, right?"

Shizuo clenched his teeth and tried to smother his embarrassment, though it had already been made obvious. With trembling hands he grabbed the zipper on his hoodie, slowly dragging it down and slipping it off his shoulders onto the floor.

"That wasn't so terrible now was it?" Izaya giggled placing the white ball on the table.

Shizuo growled in irritation and downed the remainder of his whiskey. "Let's just get on with this."

"Now, the rules are simple. If I make a shot, that's a piece of your clothing coming off. If I miss, or if you make a shot then it's my turn to undress."

"Yeah, yeah.. I know already." The blonde replied. He removed the plastic triangle from the balls and looked over at Izaya. He seemed much more calm and collected. Like his usual annoying self. Not like the vulnerable boy he had been holding in the rain.

Izaya pondered for a moment before speaking. "How do we decide who's to go first?"

Shizuo snorted. He had been playing this game with Kasuka since they were eight. He was sure he had this in the bag. "You can go first."

Izaya hummed contently and picked up his cue. He hunched over, eyeing the white ball closely. Shizuo tried to hide his smirk as he watched Izaya's face grow still with concentration.

With one swift crack, he broke apart the balls scattering them across the table. The colorful objects bounced off one another and rolled against the edges. Shizuo unconsciously held his breath as the black eight ball neared the corner hole.

Izaya watched with a devilish grin. The eight ball had stilled and a purple striped ball rolled past it into the tiny hole.

Shizuo exhaled in disbelief. He was almost certain Izaya was going to screw himself on his first turn. His narrowed amber eyes met Izaya's prideful gaze.

"I made the first shot. That means you're taking something off."

"Agh.. Son of a bitch.." The blonde cursed, reaching down to pull off his wet socks.

"Ah-ah." Izaya tutted. "I forget to add.. Whenever one of us makes a winning shot, they get to decide which piece of clothing is coming off."

"You gotta be shitting me-!" Shizuo snapped. "That's not what you said before!"

"Aww! Don't be a sore loser now~" Izaya laughed. "I'll make the first one easy on you okay? Just take off your belt."

Shizuo tried not to agrue with his simple request. It was only his belt. Nothing too serious.

Izaya watched intently as the blonde reached down to undo his belt buckle. He felt his heart beat speeding up. Things were starting to get good.

_**Bzzzt Bzzzt Bzzzzt!**_

His attention was pulled from Shizuo to the buzzing in his back pocket.

"Ugh.. What now?"

He quickly flipped open his phone to see who was calling. It was Harima Mika. He silenced the call and snapped it shut.

"Tch.. Crazy bitch. I don't have time to be bothered."

Shizuo dropped his belt to the floor and looked up at Izaya. "Everything alright?"

"Just a wrong number." He smiled. "Now where were we?"

The remainder of the night had consisted of more whiskey, pool, and stripping until the early morning. Izaya had been much better at this game than he had led on, and the two found themselves very closely matched. Only the eight ball remained on the table.

Izaya's wet clothes laid in a pile beside him, his dark red boxer briefs being the only remainder of his outfit. Shizuo stood bare from the waist up as well with only the addition of his socks.

It was Shizuo's turn, and it took everything he had in his rather intoxicated state to make a proper shot. Both boys watched in anticipation as the black ball darted across the table, slowly rolling its way towards the corner.

"Come on.." Shizuo whispered watching the ball inch closer and closer to the goal before it finally dropped in.

"Yeah!" The blonde shouted at the top of his lungs. "In your fucking face, Orihara!"

Izaya laughed, accepting defeat. "Well played."

Shizuo continued to cheer until he was interrupted at the sight of the completely nude boy before him. Izaya stood shamelessly without any clothing, picking up his glass to polish off the rest of the bottle of liquor.

"It's freezing in here.." He breathed out, rubbing his legs together. Shizuo's thoughts were growing increasingly strange due to the large amount of alcohol in his system.

He rubbed his head. "Uh.. T-there's a hot tub in the other room we could use."

Izaya smiled, placing his empty glass down. "Lead the way."

Shizuo stumbled past the bed and pushed open the bathroom door, Izaya following closely behind.

Taking a seat on the edge, he pushed a few buttons and the still water began to steam and bubble. Izaya found himself pulled to the water's inviting heat and got in without hesitation. Shizuo slowly pulled off his wet socks and climbed over the edge, submerging himself in the warm liquid.

Izaya sighed contently, letting his eyes fall shut for a moment. Shizuo couldn't relax no matter how hard he tried. Nothing could distract him from knowing Izaya was still naked and sitting only a few feet away from him.

The raven cracked open one eye, and chuckled. "Is it really bothering you that much?"

Shizuo blushed and shook his head. "I was just thinking.. What do you think would happen if anyone saw the two of us here like this?"

Izaya frowned. "This again? You said you liked hanging out together."

Shizuo sighed. "This.. It's... different."

Izaya tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

Shizuo rolled his head back and stared up at the ceiling.

"I mean, this isn't like just two guys hanging out. It's not like when I hang out with Kasuka, or Tom... It feels.. weird."

"...Weird bad? Or Weird good?"

Shizuo thought for a moment and sat up straight.

"It's not bad at all.."

Izaya merely nodded and stared off at the wall before speaking.

"Are you a virgin, Shizuo?"

The blonde looked taken back at his sudden question.

"..Yeah."

"Have you ever been kissed before?"

Shizuo thought back to summer camp.

"Just once."

"Really? What was her name?"

"It.. wasn't exactly a _her_.." He admitted shyly.

Izaya's eyes lit up at this. "So it was a boy, then? How did you like it?"

Shizuo growled in frustration. "Can we be done talking about this!?"

"Alright, alright.." The raven waved his hands.

Shizuo ran a hand through his wet hair with a long sigh. He just couldn't get his thoughts straight. "Listen.. Orihara. What I'm trying to say is.. Sitting with you.. naked in a hot tub.. It's not something guys do if they're just friends."

Izaya took the opportunity to move a bit closer. "So you're saying you and I aren't just friends?"

"I dunno.." The blonde muttered.

"Well do you think you would consider yourself bisexual? Or curious, perhaps?"

Shizuo made a face at the word. "No."

Izaya wasn't convinced. "So you don't think you could ever try it out? There's no shame if that's what you like. If I want someone, regardless if they're a man, woman, or whatever inbetween, I'm going for it. I think that's the best way to live, with an open mind and an open sexuality."

Shizuo pondered his words. If he were to be 100% honest, he never had found himself even slightly attracted to the same gender until he had started spending time with Izaya. It felt no different than if he were a female. The attraction and chemistry remained the same.

He stood from the tub and grabbed a towel. "I'm gonna head to bed. The sun will be up soon. You coming?"

Izaya grabbed another towel and stepped out to dry off. Shizuo watched Izaya through his peripheral. His body was thin and lean with narrow hips and a firm ass. Izaya wrapped the towel around his waist before his eyes could see any more. He swallowed hard.

The pair moved to the bed and climbed under the sheets. Shizuo made sure to keep an appropriate amount of distance between himself and Izaya.

The silence in the air had become awkward after their previous conversation. All sorts of things were on his mind.

Izaya rolled onto his side facing Shizuo in the pitch black room.

"Having some trouble sleeping?"

Shizuo slowly turned towards him.

"I need to say something. I have to get it off my chest."

"I'm listening."

Shizuo's tone was serious. "I know I said I wasn't gay or bisexual or even curious- because I'm _not._ I've never been into guys. So don't go thinking anything else."

Rejection hit Izaya like a punch in the gut. Things seemed to have been going on the right track. Even though their relationship had started off as nothing more than a bet, deep down he felt longing for more than just one night with Shizuo. He had grown on him during their short time together. The empty lonliness he suffered was fading the more Shizuo was around.

Izaya Orihara could get anyone he wanted. Anyone except Shizuo Heiwajima, apparently. And Shizuo was the only thing he wanted more than anything at this point. But he had been way in over his head. Shinra had been right all along.

Izaya did his best to hold his poker face. Inside, he had never felt more hurt and embarrassed.

"So you're saying you're straight.. and you could never be into me. You dont like guys. I get it, okay? Let's just get to bed."

Shizuo wanted to scream. He wasn't getting the picture. He had to show him what he meant. Reaching out into the dark, he placed his hands under Izaya's jaw.

In that instant, he found his lips pressed firmly against the other's. Izaya was frozen with disbelief. His mind couldn't process what was happening until it was all over.

The kiss was short. Shizuo had pulled away in seconds, returning to his side of the bed to get to sleep.

Izaya knew it was going to be a restless night after hearing his next words.

"I meant what I said, damn it. I don't like guys.. _Just you."_


End file.
